Promises
by nii-blueberryfreak
Summary: When the world was in peace, they were able to hold each other's hand but when the ground above their feet started to crumble, would they be able to keep doing it? Could their pain be healed? Because it's the time for all promises to be fulfilled.. CxA
1. 迷いながら

**DISCLAIMER: I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

**_Chapter One: Mayoinagara _**

It's dark outside. A twenty year old blonde stood unsteadily after got up from her chair. She felt unusually weak that night. Not only that night, a few nights before, she had started to feel some kind of strange pain in her abdominal area. It was just, that night, she couldn't stand the pain.

Unable to walk properly, she decided to sit on the guest chair in front of her desk.

She sighed.

She felt a bit lonely. Her twin brother, Kira Yamato, had no longer lived in Orb; he left to PLANT, along with his girlfriend, Lacus Clyne. She didn't really mind his moving to PLANT. He had to be with Lacus, and with Lacus pointed as the chairwoman of Terminal, he certainly had to move to PLANT along with her. Moreover, Kira was pointed as the high commander of ZAFT.

She's not really alone, actually. Kisaka and Todaka still at Orb, but that's not the matter.

Then how about Athrun Zala?

She shook her head sadly.

"He's no longer here", she murmured to herself.

She stood, and then made an attempt to leave her office, but suddenly, her vision blurred and became unclear, her head went extremely dizzy, and when she tried to move…

…She suddenly went unconscious, and fainted.

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That guy stood still right in front of the window. Looking onto the night sky, he gazed upon the stars, while his right hand held something inside it.

It was a tiny box. Wonder what's inside it?

"_Nobody would use this method to give a ring to someone"_

Her voice just kept echoed inside his head, every day, every hour, every second… And also her smile, her attitude, her tears and laughter…

Suddenly a couple of knocks were heard.

"Athrun-san, my I come in?", a girl's voice was heard from the outside of the door.

He kept that small thing inside his drawer, then answered, "Sure"

A red-haired girl with a sweet smile came inside his office, than said, "Sorry for bothering you this late…"

"It's okay", he smiled, "So…?"

"Don't 'so' me, Athrun-san", she answered cheerfully, "Or at least you would allow me to sit, would you?"

"Oh, sorry…", he answered with a little laugh, "…have a seat please, Miss Hawke"

"But there's no need for you to suddenly talk like that…", she sat on the chair in front of his desk, "…anyway, I just dropped by to say goodbye, since I'll move to Copernicus tomorrow…"

That guy just stared at his desk, unable to say anything.

"Hmm? Athrun-san? Did I say anything wrong?", that girl asked in a guilty tone.

"No, not really", he answered, "It's just that… You've helped me so much that I couldn't do anything in return…"

"What? Don't mind it, Athrun-san, it's no big deal, besides, if at that day Shinn didn't attack us, I wouldn't be here having a chat with you… My days at Archangel… That has taught me many things about this war…"

"Is that so?"

That girl nodded, and then said, "It's been a year after the war ended…"

"Yeah… I'm sorry…"

"I think your 'sorry' is useless now, Athrun… You've done nothing wrong to me…", Meyrin smiled gently, "…but you've done many mistakes to her…", she murmured.

He gazed into the skies again, and then answered, "You're absolutely right…"

"You heard that?", she asked surprisingly.

Just a nod he gave her while he gazed into the skies, again.

"You know, maybe I was quite stupid… When I confessed to you…", she blushed a little, "…then you rejected me with that reason… You said that you still love someone else… I want to say something to you… Maybe the reason I did that stupid things was because you just like an older brother to me, but I misunderstood that feeling as... You know… I don't have a brother, and I was quite childish back then… Anyway, sorry for all the troubles I've brought to you…"

He shook his head, than said, "You know, Meyrin? I don't have any siblings too, but I think it would be nice to have a little sister like you…"

"If that was from the bottom of your heart, I really appreciated it", she smiled, "And I think the same too… I mean, it would be very nice to have a brother like you… You know, all I have just a sister who's always far more superior than me… Honestly, I was a bit jealous when she kept clinging with you at Minerva… But not now, of course"

They laughed a little.

"By the way, how's Lunamaria?"

"She's fine, really really fine…", she answered, "…probably she and her new husband are having a great time together at this Saturday night…"

"Her husband… You mean Shinn, right?"

"No, he's not Shinn, he's Durandall… Of course not! If it's not Shinn, who else? I don't really know how the two of them get along really well suddenly…"

Athrun thought deep inside_, Maybe I shouldn't tell her that probably they are getting along very well because they once thought Meyrin was dead…_

"Aw, it's getting late…", she said while she looked at the clock.

"No, it's not getting late, it's already late I think", he smiled.

"You're right… Anyway, are you going to see her tomorrow? I mean, Miss Athha… When I take a look at the news, she has been really busy recently, no; I didn't mean anything, just…"

"I know, Meyrin. That's a fact; maybe it's going to be very difficult to see her…"

She looked at the emerald eyes of his, which filled with guilt and sadness now.

"Athrun-san…", she asked carefully, "…you still love her"

He just answered with a small nod and sad smile.

"I just want to be beside her, even if she choose someone else…", he gazed upon the stars, again and again.

"Let me guess, 'I don't think she will forgive me for everything I've done to her, maybe that's why she returned the ring to me' is what are you thinking right now, maybe?"

Athrun startled, "How can you read my mind like that?"

Meyrin giggled, "It's written above your head… Just kidding", then she smiled gently, "don't be such a coward, Athrun-san. She's not someone like that, I know…"

"_Please take care of Athrun…"_

Meyrin still remember, how unstable her voice, how her eyes shone sadly as she said that phrase to her. And she was stupid enough to fulfil her request, though.

"Athrun-san?", Meyrin asked, "Can you promise me one thing? As a brother to her little sister, I meant…"

"What?"

"Promise me you'll be happy wherever you are… Mail me, okay?"

"Sure. And good luck at your teacher training… I heard you're going to be an instructor at Copernicus"

"That's what I've dreamt, so I'll work hard for sure", she waved her hand, "See you then"

"Bye"

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Meanwhile, at Aprilius city, a brunette was driving back home. He looked pretty nervous. Beside him, a small velvet box lied on the seat.

Kira Yamato, the high commander of ZAFT, had decided to propose his girlfriend, Lacus Clyne that night. That's why he looked dead nervous that night.

He had spent a week just to find the perfect ring for Lacus. And, well said, he had been searching from all over PLANT. He had observed every single store at every shopping mall from Januarius city from December city, yet he found the perfect one at Aprilius city.

Suddenly his cell phone rang. He took a glimpse at it, it was his mother who called. He pressed a button on his handsfree device to answer it.

"Hello"

"Ah, Kira", a woman's voice was heard from the other line, "How's your day? You seldom call…"

"Umm, well, a bit busy, Mom… Sorry for not calling you recently… How's Orb?"

"Fine, your sister rule it pretty well, I suppose"

"As I expected", suddenly Kira remembered something, "Mom, I wanna ask you something…"

"Go ahead, son"

"Well, dunno how to say it…", he thought for a second, "…Mom, you must've known Lacus Clyne, right?"

"Sure"

"You must've known that she has been my girlfriend for these three years, haven't you?"

"I've known that, why don't you go straight to the point, Kira?"

"Okay then… Do you approve of her becoming your… Umm…", Kira gulped, "…your daughter-in-law?"

Kira waited for his mother's response impatiently, but he still felt uneasy.

"Why not? She's a good girl; I don't see anything wrong in her becoming your wife"

"Really? Thanks!", Kira looked extremely relieved, and started to drive recklessly due to lack of his concentration. Thanks God he's a coordinator; he could evade other cars easily so that won't be any accident.

"Hey, you don't need to thank me, Kira", his mother laughed a little, "Just make sure you have enough money for the wedding reception"

"Anyway, thanks a lot, Mom", Kira turned dangerously, and he realized that he could no longer continued the conversation, he couldn't concentrate properly, "Can we end this for a while, Mom? I'm driving right now"

"Okay then… See you, son. And good luck proposing to her tonight"

"Thanks, Mom. Bye", he pushed a button to end the conversation up, so that he could concentrate properly. He didn't want to die at such a young age, at least not before he proposed to Lacus.

**Author's note**: My first try on long fics… Maybe the story wasn't that good; I was a bit inspired to write this after I'd seen some other fic which looks similar to this one… Well, it does seem similar for the half first parts, but i'll tell you, this is different… Different plot… Just wait and see… HEY!!! Everyone! R&R! I'm a rookie so I'll happily accept any kinds of review, suggestion and critics gladly accepted, flames included! (Well, if there are any flames, I'll just allow you guys to talk to my hand Coz I dunno and I don't care, also, I don't want to know and don't bother to care about flames)

Btw, Mayoinagara means lost.

Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ…

My favourite Gospel song in my mother language (in Indonesia of course ) :

_Hati Sebagai Hamba_

_Reff : Inilah yang kupunya/ hati sebagai hamba/ yang mau taat dan setia padaMu Bapa/ kemanapun kubawa/ hati yang menyembah/ dalam Roh dan kebenaran/ sampai s'lamanya//_

This song sure inspires me a lot Thanks God!


	2. 愛していると言うなら

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Not to forget, for all of you guys who had reviewed my first fic "You're Mine and I'm Yours"… THANKS A LOT GUYS!!!! I luph u soooo much…**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

* * *

_**Chapter Two: Aishiteru To Iu Nara**_

"Chairman Zala, Chairman Joule wanted to meet you. He said it's urgent", Athrun's secretary's voice was heard from the intercom.

"Allow him"

A furious-looking guy with albino hair entered his room.

"Your documents", he slammed a bunch of documents on Athrun's desk.

"Thanks, Yzak", he smiled, checking the documents, "How is it now? You and Shiho, I mean"

"It's none of your business, Chairman Zala. How's your preparation?"

"What preparation?"

Yzak sighed impatiently, and continued, "THE RESHUFFLE!!!"

"Oh…", he answered, "…it didn't bother me that much"

"It is so you to answer like that", he rolled his eyeballs.

"Who knows…", he smiled, and then tucked those documents inside his drawer, "…I'll leave to December city tomorrow, please send my regards to Dearka, Shiho, Shinn, and the others…"

"Better move fast, Zala", Yzak offered his hand to Athrun, which he gladly accepted, and they both ended up shaking their hands.

"I don't really care about it", he proceed to leave his office, "But I'll say thanks to you first if you're about to vote for me"

"Keep dreaming, Zala", he sneered, "I won't vote for you"

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"Miss Representative Athha! Are you alright?"

She could hear a few footsteps from the outside. She tried to get up, but she couldn't. Her vision went dark and blurred after a few seconds, but she could still felt the coldness of her office floor.

They were getting closer to her, she could tell it. Actually she didn't want her bodyguards to know about this, but the unbearable pain she felt was just preventing her from acting tough towards them.

Strange, she felt it. She had been enduring the pain for a few weeks, but this time she couldn't. Maybe it was just getting more and more painful until it had reached her limits.

Although she could barely see, and her head went extremely dizzy, suddenly her mind had transformed into a small theatre, and her memories were being played inside it. Starting from their fateful meeting at a deserted island, her father's death, their painful farewell at the Archangel, his moving to PLANT along with Meyrin Hawke, Kira's moving to PLANT along with Lacus, just everything, mostly the painful one.

And her mind went blank afterwards.

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The night sky was very vivid. A lot of constellation appeared which added more merriness to the night sky.

Kira smiled. Lucky he knew a friend who controlled the weather at Aprilius, so he could ask him personally to add some more constellations to the sky only for that night.

"Wow, I wonder why tonight's sky's more beautiful than usual…", Lacus turned to him, smiling, "…isn't it, Kira?"

"Yeah, it's very pretty", he answered nervously. It's just the two of them at the balcony, and he was really sure that the time to propose to Lacus had already come. But it seemed that the words couldn't reach further than the edge of his tongue.

"Kira?", Lacus walked closer to him, and then she touched Kira's face with her hand, "What's wrong? You seem so uneasy tonight"

Shit, Kira thought, she realized it.

"Nothing, Lacus", he lied to her, but unfortunately his gesture betrayed him so that Lacus still felt something wrong with him.

"Really?", she doubted Kira's statement before, "You can tell me if something's wrong, Kira…"

"No", he looked really dumb-founded, "There's nothing to worry about, Lacus…"

"Are you sure?", Lacus looked worried, but her eyes seemed a bit disappointed. She really hoped that Kira would tell her anything that bothered him, but unfortunately he didn't.

_I'm sorry, Lacus_, he thought, while his right hand was searching the ring inside his pocket; _it's not that I don't want to tell you but, suddenly he realized that his pocket was empty, SHIT! I LEFT THE RING IN MY CAR! _

"Sorry Lacus", he prepared himself to dash in order to get the ring, "Gotta go for a while, I left something in my car…", and then he left Lacus jaw-dropped, alone in the balcony.

"There must be something really wrong with him, I suppose", she murmured, while her pink Haro bouncing freely and chattering some nonsense ("I can't accept it! I can't accept it!", it said)

A few seconds later, Kira had returned to the balcony, a few sweat drops appeared on his face which was caused by running hastily, and his hand was holding a small velvet box.

"Kira?", Lacus looked worried because of Kira's sudden disappearance and appearance, "Why are you such in a rush?"

Kira panted, and it took a couple of seconds for him to get over his tiredness. He walked a few steps closer to Lacus, and suddenly, he knelt in front of her, and both of his hands were holding the velvet box.

"Kira? What is this all about?"

"La-Lacus… Wi-will y-you… Marry me?", he looked extremely nervous that he dare to admit that this is the first time he felt like that. His hands were shaking a little. And his heart was beating faster and faster.

Lacus looked extremely surprised at his proposal. She gasped, but then she smiled, her eyes began to look watery.

Kira, who didn't expect Lacus to cry, suddenly felt very uneasy.

"Lacus?", he asked carefully, still knelt at her, "Did I say something wrong to you…? Or maybe…"

"No, Kira, it's not that…", she shed a single tear, but she quickly wiped it, "…it's just I'm very happy. Yes, Kira. I'll marry you"

"Really?", Kira slowly stood up, walked closer to Lacus. She answered his question with a single simple nod.

"Open it", he said, offered the velvet box to Lacus. And Lacus, still showered with happiness, slowly opened that luxurious velvet box. When she had opened it, a very beautiful ring revealed from inside it. It was a ring made with platinum, with an aquamarine on the center of it, and the aquamarine was surrounded by tiny diamonds.

"Kira…", she gasped in disbelieve, "…it's beautiful"

Kira placed the ring on her ring finger, and then both of them gazed at each other, feeling each other's presence.

The gap between them was diminished slowly as Kira pulled Lacus towards him, and they were about to share a kiss until…

"Lacus-sama…", one of her maids called her, "…a phone call from Orb. He said it's urgent"

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_Another invitation_, he thought, leaned upon his chair, _and I have to attend this because the supreme council chairwoman can't do it. _

He opened the envelope, and a piece of scented paper revealed. The invitation was from the Kingdom of Scandinavia. They held a ball to commemorate their 25th Independence Day.

_Well, I guess I have no other choice_, Athrun thought, and then folded the invitation again, _being a chairman sure is boring sometimes._

Tired from never ending paperwork, and replying mails, he decided to take a walk outside his office in Sextilis city, and tomorrow he had to go to December city due to some business.

He took his coat from the hanger, stepped out, and then checked his appointment to his secretary to ensure he didn't miss something important that day. After he had done it, he left.

Sextilis city was quite beautiful. It's not as big as Aprilius city, the place where Kira and Lacus were assigned to, and not as small as Junius city, the place where his deceased mother used to stay. The city wasn't as crowded and busy as Aprilius or December, but wasn't as calm as Junius. It was just the perfect place according to his taste.

It was March, and winter was almost ended, waiting to be replaced by spring. The weather was getting warmer and warmer, he could feel it.

Actually, he didn't know where to go; he was just taking a stroll, so there wasn't any certain direction. He kept walking pointlessly, until he reached a certain place.

He stood under a sakura tree. It hadn't blossomed, although it was obvious, it's still winter.

But suddenly, he felt something cold and small arrived on his head. He looked to the sky, and he realized that the weather suddenly changed.

Snow was starting to fall slowly. The snowdrops were covering the branches of sakura tree, made a very pleasant combination of dark brown and white.

_It's strange_, he thought, while he lifted his left hand to catch the snowdrops, the weather in PLANT was always controlled. It's a bit strange to have snow falling in the end of winter.

As the snowdrops fell onto his hand, he felt that he, somehow, remembered something.

---flashback---

_Cagalli stood in her office looked very uneasy. A few minutes ago, Yuna Roma Seiran had tried to steal a kiss from her, but somehow, she managed to avoid it, and he ended up kissing her cheek, followed by some kicks in his stomach by Cagalli._

_But it wasn't the real problem._

_Athrun, who was her bodyguard a.k.a. Alex Dino back then, he saw everything clearly with his very own eyes. And Cagalli could see how rage full he was. His fist was clenched so hard that she could see them trembling slightly. And his emerald eyes which always looked calm, that time were filled with furious and deadly glare upon her fiancé._

_They both were unable to see each other's eyes._

"_Why don't you tell me?"_

"_Tell you what?", she replied angrily. She was still a bit shock from that incident, and she still had to deal with Athrun about that matter._

"_Tell me the fact that you have a fiancé! What else!?"_

_Athrun, who was always calm and decisive, that time showed his rage so openly in front of her. Precisely, he showed his rage upon her. _

"_Alright then, I'll tell you", she glared at him; "I have a fiancé. Satisfied?"_

"_At least you could tell me before!"_

"_What's the difference between telling you before and telling you now?", she replied in a harsh tone, almost shouted, "I see no difference between them!"_

"_Oh yes there is, Cagalli!", he looked very angry, "If only I had known the fact before, I wouldn't…", his words stopped at the end of his tongue suddenly. It seems that he would say something, but ended up canceling it._

"_Wouldn't what?", she cried, looked very furious, "Wouldn't assigned yourself to be my bodyguard? Well, if that's the case, you can go now, Mr. Alex Dino. I'll go look for another one"_

_Both of them staring at each other, unable to say anything further. _

_Athrun walked towards the office door, leaving her in rage, said, "Whatever. I've had enough"_

_He seemed very angry, but deep inside, he felt very guilty. It was their very first quarrel. His steps felt so heavy._

_He regretted shouting at her back then. _

_But he couldn't stand seeing Yuna Roma Seiran touched her. He didn't want any other guy to touch her, even just laying one finger on her. But he could do nothing, he was the bodyguard, he couldn't hit the guy right in his face._

_Sighing, he walked through the corridor, and when he had ensured he was unseen by anyone, he punched the wall beside him very hard until his fist turned purplish blue. Somehow, the pain he had gained made him think clearer._

---end of flashback---

He let a few snowdrops melted on his palm.

_It was our very first quarrel;_ he smiled, and kept walking under the sakura tree.

**

* * *

**

**Author's note**: Yeah, whatever you guys said, well, this is the second chapter. I hope you guys give me some useful critics and delightful compliments too Flames? Umm I don't care about it. I've just got a flame on my first fic and it didn't affect me though, thanks to my Jesus. Well, I know I'm a rookie (AND MY GRAMMAR TOTALLY SUCK) so I wouldn't say I don't need review, I need them really, and I'll accept all kinds of review, especially useful critics and suggestions. Praise the Lord for His continuous uncountable blessings!

Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance while I'm writing the whole fic, it has reached chapter eight in my CPU, I'll post it later

God bless you guys.


	3. 青い記憶

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Not to forget, for all of you guys who had reviewed my first fic "You're Mine and I'm Yours"… THANKS A LOT GUYS!!!! I luph u soooo much…**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

* * *

_**Chapter Three: Aoi Kioku**_

"Lacus Clyne here", she picked up the phone call, leaving Kira alone at the balcony, but he promptly went after her.

"Okay", she said, looked a bit annoyed, because maybe the phone call she received wasn't really important, "Just tell them I'll be there with Commander Yamato"

She stopped for a while, and then she said, "Thank you very much", before she pressed the button to end the phone call.

"I'm sorry, Kira", she turned to him, smiling gracefully, "It was my secretary, she asked me about the invitation the Kingdom of Scandinavia had given to me…"

"It's okay"

"You're going with me, right?", she walked towards him, and then leaned gently towards him, "The invitation is valid for two persons"

"Sure, if that's what you want, Lacus", Kira held her shoulders gently with both of his hands gently, and he was about to kiss her until he heard his cell phone rang again, this time, vibration was included so he was a bit startled.

_Shit_, he thought, _another intervention. What again now?_

"Ah, sorry, Lacus… I think I've just got a mail", Kira went back a couple of steps, his hands dug into his pocket trying to reach her cell phone.

"Go ahead", she said, still smiling but anybody could tell it from her blue eyes that she was a bit disappointed.

Kira examined his cell phone, and suddenly his expression changed.

Lacus, who had noticed the sudden changes on Kira's face, asked him, "May I know what is it?"

"Well, Kisaka always send me a report about my sister at Orb…", he pushed a few buttons on his cell phone, "…but this time was a bit different than usual"

"Is she alright?", Lacus asked him with a worry look on her face.

"Not really I suppose", he pushed another button, and then put his cell phone back into his pocket; "Can I borrow your phone for a while, Lacus? I think I'm gonna call Kisaka"

"Mind the time difference between Orb and Aprilius", she said while she handed the phone to Kira.

"It's about twenty or twenty one hours I suppose"

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Athrun kept walking along the street, while his mind was still full of thoughts, mostly thoughts of the past between him and his beloved one.

---flashback---

_Athrun waited for her in front of her office. He regretted what he had done before, he really didn't mean it. But it seemed that she wouldn't open the door for him._

_I'll try to apologize to her, he thought, as he lifted his hand to knock the door._

"_Cagalli, may I come in?"_

_He waited for her response, but she didn't responded._

_He still could see the light from her office, meant that she was still there. So he encouraged himself to come in and face her. And he found her gazing from her office window, both of her hands in front of her chest._

"_Cagalli, I…"_

"_No one told you to come in"_

"_I know", he replied softly, "I'm sorry"_

"_Then?", she turned to face him, still looked furious, "Nothing will change even if you apologize to me"_

"_Cagalli…"_

_Suddenly her face turned a bit sad, although she tried to hide the fact. She said, "Even if you apologize to me, Yuna Roma Seiran is still my fiancé"_

"_I know that too", he walked closer to her, until the gap between them slowly diminished._

"_I'm sorry"_

"_For what?", he smiled, holding her hands, feeling her fingers unto his, and brought her closer to him._

"_For not telling you about this"_

"_It doesn't matter anymore", he stroke her hair with his free hand, "but at least I want to know why you did it"_

"_Because… It was so horrible just to think about it", she said, turning her head away so she wouldn't see his eyes, "…and I'm afraid of…"_

No,_ she thought_, I can't tell him that I'm afraid he will leave me after learned that I've already had a fiancé.

"_Of what?"_

"_Forget it", she returned to her feisty mood, "I'm going home now. Tell the driver to wait in front of the gate"_

_She walked away, but he managed to have her inside his embrace. He hugged her from her back tightly, as if he wouldn't let her go, but still, it was a warm and gentle embrace._

"_Athrun, what are you doing?", Cagalli struggled, trying to break free, and her face blushed like mad, "This office has security camera!"_

"_No, it doesn't have even one", he smirked, "I've checked it"_

"_Whatever", finally, she stopped struggling, knowing that she wouldn't able to break free since she enjoyed his warm embrace too._

"_Cagalli…", he whispered gently near her ear, and both of his hands at her waist, "…I won't leave you"_

_She startled. _How did he know?

"…_Even though I've had a fiancé?"_

"_Yes", he tightened his embrace, "I promise"_

_Slowly, she put her hands at his, and he could feel her small hands and fingers intertwined between his._

"_I don't like this", she whispered, very weakly that it was almost unheard._

"_Don't like what?"_

"_One day I have to marry him", she answered, "I have to, because it's the tradition of the Royal Family. And I'm the last and only member of Athha house…"_

_He smiled, but his smile wasn't a happy smile. It was more of disappointment and sadness. It was painful for him to know that girl he truly loved had to marry another guy. He didn't willing to see another guy was going to 'own' her, but he could do nothing about it. He was just an outsider._

"…_I want to cancel this engagement, but I can't…", she continued, "…now the situation's different. I nearly don't have much power. And Unato Ema Seiran is the person father trusted me to, I can't do anything right now…"_

"_It's okay", he said, although unwillingly, "When there's a will, there's a way"_

"_I hope", she sighed, "Thanks, Athrun"_

_She turned to face him, and found him smiling to her. Somehow, being together with him could make her forget all her duties and burdens, even just for a while._

_He, once again, hugged her tightly, and wasn't going to let her go. And she wouldn't mind either. They stayed in that position for a few minutes, both of them feeling each other's presence. He could feel how she really fit into his embrace, and how she could give him the warmth he had longed for a while._

---end of flashback---

Smiling, he tried to shoo away those sweet-yet-painful memories from his head

_But I was the one who broke the promise, really, _he thought while he was walking away from the sakura tree, _I had let her marry that guy, yet I blamed her for that…_

He glanced at a gigantic digital clock and calendar at the street.

_C.E. 75_, he thought, _maybe it's too late… It's been two years…_

He wondered why the person he loved the most was the one he had hurt the most.

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"It's still two hours before we arrived at Orb, Kira", Lacus held her Haro in her hands so that it won't bounce and disturbed the other passengers on the shuttle. They were going to Orb.

"I know", Kira leaned onto his seat, "But still couldn't help worrying about her"

"It's natural. She's your other twin", she answered, smiling. Her Haro flapped its ears and chattered, "You're right! You're right"

"I feel a bit guilty about this", he said, "It seemed that I've failed as her brother. I have known that she has no siblings except me, yet I still left her…"

"But she understands the situation back then", Lacus sighed, "Although I could feel her sadness, she didn't want anyone to know her feelings back then. Including you"

"I know that. She's always acting tough"

"Come to think about it", Lacus unintentionally freed her Haro and it ended up bouncing lightly on her lap, "Athrun"

"What did you mean by that? He's assigned at Sextilis city at the moment"

"No, that wasn't what I had meant… I wonder how they are going. Your sister and him, I mean"

Kira sighed, this time's heavier than before, and then replied, "He's being strange. I mean, his strange attitude had aroused my suspicion"

"May I know since when?"

"Since the second war, he always had Meyrin Hawke stuck with him. When I visited the monument at Orb, I found him together with her, although Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke were around too. And when he returned to PLANT to fulfill his duties, he returned together with Meyrin Hawke"

"Then why didn't you ask him?"

"I thought it wasn't the right time to inquire him about that, everyone was very busy regarding the war, besides, even though I've known him for ages, I don't have the rights to ask him about personal matter like that"

"I see", Lacus smiled, and captured her Haro so it wouldn't bounce again and became a nuisance, "If I were you, I would act the same"

"Even though he's my best friend, I do still want to hit him right in his face"

"Kira?", Lacus looked a bit startled, "Don't do that"

"I won't do it for sure, Lacus", Kira smiled to her, assured her that he wasn't serious about it, "Did you remember when he was still with ZAFT? When we fought at the second war?"

"I wouldn't forget such a thing, Kira"

"Miriallia secretly arranged a meeting between us four, but it ended up very painfully for her when Athrun just shouted at her and walked away"

Lacus gave him a simple nod.

"I'm not an eavesdropper, but, I accidentally heard her crying inside her room. She didn't want anybody else to know that she was crying, me included, so I pretend like I've never heard it"

"No wonder you'd want to hit Athrun's face", Lacus face turned serious, "If I were you, I'll feel the same way. But I won't hit him for sure"

"Relax, Lacus, I won't hit him", Kira laughed a little, "It was just… Well, Cagalli had suffered enough; I just don't want him to add more sufferings to my sister"

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---flashback (a/n: more like a dream, I suppose)---

"_Miss Athha, this is Alex. May I come in?", his voice came out from the speaker beside her room's door._

"_Yeah…", the girl inside the room answered dispiritedly, probably because of the injury she had at her head._

"…_but I don't think you need all that formality", she murmured._

_The door slides automatically, then a midnight-blue-haired-boy entered the room with the guilt he has on his gorgeous emerald eyes._

_He sat beside her on her bed, and then asked, "Was that hurt?"_

"_Of course not, stupid. Just a little headache but I'm sure it will gone soon enough", as usual, she answered with her 'tough-woman-intonation', "luckily I didn't get amnesia or something like that", she laughed a bit, but she stopped when she saw his worried and guilty face._

"_I'm fine, Athrun", she answered, again, now in a much more gentle voice, "You don't need to put the blame on yourself. After all, there's nothing wrong that you've done"_

_He put his right hand in the side of her suddenly-blushing-face, touched her blood-stained- bandage, finally her soft skin of her cheek._

"_I'm sorry I've injured you…"_

"_What are you talking about?", the blonde girl in front of him cut his sentence, "it was just an accident. Nothing special about it"_

_Athrun just smiled, and then his left hand went to the other side of her face. Now that both of Athrun's hand had held her face, her face blushed more and more, as he drew himself closer and closer to her._

"_What are you…!"_

_Cagalli's harsh words were stopped by a very light kiss Athrun gave in her lips. She planned to kick him out of her room, but now she didn't feel like doing it. Her eyes opened widely at first, but she closed both of them as the time elapsed._

_But for some reasons, she drew herself further, and stopped the kiss. _

"_What?", she asked with her usual tone and a red face, "You came all the way here just to do this?"_

_He smiled, than answered, "Actually I just wanted to check your condition but…", he smirked, "…you've got yourself a bonus, Princess"_

_She showed a little anger on her face, "How dare you call me a prin…"_

_Once again, her words with its angered tone was stopped by a kiss he gave her, this time is different than the one they had before. It has more passion and sweetness than the one before. She felt that her face blushes more and more, but she didn't care about that again. They both almost lost their balance, and then both of them fell onto her bed._

_They stopped their kiss once they fell, but shortly after that he kissed her again, this time he kisses hungrily, yet gently and sweetly. She wanted to struggle, but she realized that she, once again, had fallen deeply into his charm, deeply fallen into his feels-like-paradise trap._

_He breathed shortly, his heart beats faster, yet he continued to kiss her lips, tasted the sweetness she gave him, than slowly down to her neck-_

"_CONDITION RED ANNOUNCED! CONDITION RED ANNOUNCED! ALL HANDS PREPARE FOR BATTLE…"_

_Athrun stopped his kisses, and at the same time Cagalli pushed him._

"_I think…", her face blushes more, "…we should go…"_

"_Yes", smiled, he answered, and then he got up from the bed, followed by her._

"_Better be hurry", she rushed to go to the bridge of Minerva, but suddenly stopped, then she looked back, and gave a small smile to him._

"_Okay"_

---end of flashback (a/n: More like a dream, I suppose)---

Opened her eyes, she realized that all the scene before was just a dream. Just another sweet dream she ever had. Another sweet memory that had passed through her mind while she was sleeping.

Cagalli Yula Athha lifted her right hand, and she found out that she was given an infusion. She recalled that she, for some reason, had fainted in her office. But it's not important now. Once again, she examined her right hand, and then sighed.

Her ring finger is now empty.

Smiled sadly, she remembered that she had already returned that ring to the one who gave her the ring.

_But why_, she thought, _why that dream… That was… At Minerva… Just the two of us, me and Athrun…_

"But now it's over", she said to herself.

She gazed through the white ceiling. She felt that tears started to fall, but somehow she managed to keep them in her golden eyes.

_Be strong, Cagalli Yula Athha_, she thought to herself, _you're the daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha, you're the leader of ORB, you mustn't spend your tears crying for that jerk who abandoned his promises to you, participate in a meaningless battle in Crete and attack your troops, killed your comrades, and going back to PLANT with another girl. You mustn't cry._

Slowly, she put her vision in the direction of the window. It was a quiet night out there; clear sky with no clouds, and stars were shinning brightly. As if they talked to each other in this very universe.

"_I'm glad we've met, Cagalli… I promise I'll protect you with everything I've got…"_

How could she forget that phrase? It was at Archangel, four years ago, his promise, and their first kiss.

But now everything has changed. It's all over now. No more his calm words, his warm hands, his gentle whisper through her ear, no more tight-yet-embracing hugs, no more kisses… That's it. She'd had enough.

_But why I feel so torn up after seeing that dream? _, she thought.

"Cagalli?", a voice that she really recognized called her. She turned her head into the direction of the voice.

"Kira?", she was a bit surprised to see her twin brother there, accompanied by his fiancée Lacus Clyne (of course, she brought her cute yet annoying little robot, HARO, or 'Pink-chan'), "What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be in PLANT, aren't you?"

"Well, I can't just sit calmly when I'd known that you've fainted at your office yesterday…"

"Oh.. I see…", suddenly her face changed, "…yesterday?"

"The doctor said that you've been sleeping for almost twenty four hours, Cagalli", Lacus walked closer to her, smiling gracefully that anyone who see her smile would find it was very assuring.

"Ah, Lacus, you're here too", Cagalli attempted to get up, but her head was still very dizzy and her stomach hurt so bad that she could barely move.

"Hey, relax; don't move too much or you're getting worse", Kira prevent her from moving too much.

Cagalli didn't say anything to protest her brother; she just didn't have much power left to do it.

"See? You're really sick! If you're in your normal condition, you probably would push me and told me that I'm annoying", Kira said, fixing her blanket.

"Yeah, you're right"

Suddenly, the three of them heard a knock on the door, and her doctor came in. Both Kira and Lacus had known that the doctor was going to check Cagalli's condition, so they both went out of Cagalli's room for a while. And of course, waiting for the results.

* * *

**Author's note**: As always.. R&R… Flames accepted…

Special thanks to, once again, My Lord Jesus Christ.

And thanx to gseedlover, my first reviewer

AsuCaga 4eva!

God bless you guys all.


	4. 動けない心

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

* * *

_**Chapter Four: Ugokenai Kokoro**_

"I can't believe this", she pouted, "Three weeks?"

"Yes, Cagalli, I've heard nothing wrong from the doctor", Kira glared at her, "You have to rest for at least three weeks"

"No, no, tell me the doctor's wrong, Lacus", Cagalli looked at Lacus, who just shook her hand while smiling gently at his fiancé's twin sister.

"If I'm not mistaken, I've heard the doctor said about your health condition, which was actually very very bad I suppose, and he suspected that it was caused by your workaholic attitude, Cagalli. You kept working day and night that it had made your liver…, umm, inflamed. And if you're going to continue working like this, we won't be surprised if you'd died from cirrochis"

"Alright, you both win", she folded her arms in front of her chest, but suddenly unfolded them; because she realized that the infusion was still stuck on her left arm.

"Well, you can consider it as a holiday, Cagalli", Lacus cheered her up.

"I'll try", she answered, "It's just I've never taken that much time for my holiday…"

"Hey, Cagalli, can you tell me when the last time you take a day off was?", Kira sat beside her on her bed.

"Well, let's see…", she began to gaze above, thinking, "…I suppose it was three years ago… When I visit you and Lacus at the orphanage…"

"See? You haven't even had a holiday ever since!"

"Just shut up, Kira", she spurred, "I'm just afraid I wouldn't be able to finish my work back then. Orb was in a pathetic state at that time, you should've known that"

"I know. But now I think Orb was in a fair condition, thanks to you and your hardworking that had made you collapsed for almost twenty four hours"

"Kira, you're annoying!", she shouted, but Kira just replied it with a broad smile on his face.

"Calm down, Cagalli", he held his sister's hand, "Orb's not going to collapse if you leave it for three weeks. Besides, you can trust Kisaka and Amagi for sure, right? I'm sure they could manage Orb's internal affair well, Cagalli"

She glared at Kira, tried to show him how determined she was to kept working even when she's sick, but Kira replied her glare with the same amount of determination, so she chose to give up.

"Alright then! You win again, Kira", she said loudly, almost shouting, and Kira smirked afterwards.

"Okay then", he went back a few steps, "How about staying in the orphanage to spend your holiday…"

"That would be nice…", she answered, but suddenly she realized something, "…wait a minute. I've got an invitation from the Kingdom of Scandinavia at the end of this week. I must attend it since the Kingdom of Scandinavia is related closely to Orb…"

"If that's the case…", Lacus walked a few steps towards her, "…we will attend it together with you. They send it to me too, since I'm the chairwoman of Terminal, and they said that the invitation was valid for two persons, so I'll have Kira as my companion…", she turned to Kira, smiling, "…right, Kira?"

Kira just simply nod, and than faced Cagalli again, saying, "Maybe we can go to Scandinavia together…"

"Wow, a good suggestion", Cagalli said, "I'll go with you guys then"

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The sky was a bit bright, maybe it was coloured by the sunray. It sure had the perfect harmony between the clouds and sunray, so gracefully that no one would dare not to look at it.

But still, he thought while he was driving to his assigned house at Sextilis city, the skies and the weather at PLANT are controlled. They were artificial, nothing special about them.

His mind was a bit fuzzy, lots of things he had been thinking for a few hours. First, the Scandinavian thingy. Actually, he didn't really mind to come in place of his superior, but, he had known that she must be attending that ball too. He wasn't that prepared to see her again. It's seemed that half of his soul was unable to look at her amber eyes due to his guilt. But he truly missed her that it had made him felt that he's going to be crazy.

Second, the thing he should say when he met her after two years of lost contacts.

But he didn't regret it, since it was his decision.

It was just he couldn't help it, two years had passed since the second bloody valentine war but his love to her couldn't just fade away. He had hoped that it would happen, but didn't. He had survived days and months working like crazy, but still, he couldn't drive her away from his mind. It seemed the exact same as a battle, he knew he wouldn't be able to win; heck, he'd still participate in it just to enjoy being a loser.

He smiled bitterly.

He knew that he had lost from the very beginning.

However, he still kept her ring safely even though he had never hope that she'll wear it again. And every time he gazed at the ring, he smiled to himself. The silver was still gleaming and hadn't lost its charm; also, the ruby at the middle of it was still as radiant and vibrant as ever. The ring wasn't very expensive although it had taken up his three months payment as Cagalli's bodyguard.

But he could felt guilt, sadness, and pain stabbed through his chest as he gazed onto the ring.

He couldn't forget her, although he was always surrounded by many girls in his whole life, starting from elementary school until he graduated from ZAFT military academy. Not to mention when he was assigned in Minerva, he had to endure those unwanted affection from the Hawke sisters, and also, Meer Campbell, Lacus' look-alike when inside his heart was no other girl but Cagalli Yula Athha, the chief representative and princess of Orb.

_Why_, he thought, his eyes caught the beautiful scenery of a sunset in Sextilis, _why amongst all of the girls' I've known in my entire life, it has to be her?_

But no matter how many times his heart questioned it; he won't, and would never find the answer. He couldn't do anything though, he thought he'd just let fate playing with his entire life, kept him and his beloved one separated, as far as eternity.

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Kira, Lacus, and Cagalli had arrived at the orphanage. It was still the same as three years ago, except it has more children now. They're going to spend a few days at the orphanage, before they'd leave to Scandinavia in order to attend their invitation.

All of them had put their luggage inside their room, and Cagalli was surprised to see that her brother and Lacus were still sleeping in separate bedrooms although they were already engaged. She grinned, she knew that Kira would always be Kira, and if her woman instincts were correct, Lacus was the one who's on the 'offence'. Despite her innocent look, Lacus was the one who did the 'first movements' in their relationship. But Kira and Lacus was a sweet couple though.

She giggled at nobody, probably just to herself. Perhaps it's because when she thought about her brother and his fiancée, it would always made her laugh. Or probably she felt that she'd just escape something that had suffocated her in those two years. Things like work, meetings, reports, conference, where she had to appear in front of the media perfectly, and couldn't co anywhere without her bodyguards. And this time she really enjoyed hanging out with her only brother, and her soon-to-be sister-in-law. She seldom met them, especially when Kira had been assigned to PLANT, becoming the commander. Or maybe it was caused by her feeling incredibly lightly; she used to work like crazy for the past two years, no wonder, because Orb was in such a bad state so she had to work hard to rebuild it after the invasion from ZAFT. And it wasn't easy to rebuild Orb in that state, luckily her subordinates put their full trust into her that time, so it would've been a little easier for her.

She smiled again. This time's for no reason at all. Perhaps she's just smiling to herself. She couldn't recalled when the last time she smiled to herself for no reason was, but if she thought harder, the answer was three years ago. Her works, responsibilities, and duties as the representative of Orb –not to mention her promise to her deceased father, Uzumi Nara Athha, the former representative of Orb to take care of the country she was trusted to- had made her worked extremely hard for the sake of her people, and if it's for the sake of her people, she wouldn't mind sacrificing herself, her happiness included.

_Maybe I've changed_, she thought, walking pointlessly at the shore, _I've changed a lot since the end, no, the beginning of the second war._ She had lost her feistiness and her temper, she's a bit calmer than before, but those weren't the point.

She felt numb, as numb as anyone can be, probably. It's not her body that was numb, no, her body still functioned properly except for her liver, but it would recover soon enough, overall, all of her limbs still functioned properly, and so does her mind.

It was her heart which was numb. And maybe it was caused by the pain she had to endure for the past two years. To be precise, it had been started since the second war had out broken. She wasn't the type of girl who cries a lot, but it seemed that she slowly transformed into that type of girl. Nobody had noticed this, nor did her brother. She didn't want people notice it, so she never cried in front of them. And when she cried, she always done it in her room, locked securely so that no one would come in, and always stuffed her fist inside her mouth so nobody would hear her. The first time she cried like that was in the Archangel, after her secret reunion with Athrun, when he cruelly turned his back upon her. She didn't cried in front of Kira, nor Lacus, but she secretly locked herself in her room, and then wept desperately.

And the second time she wept was when Kisaka brought the severely injured Athrun back into the Archangel. As he lied unconsciously, she just sat beside him, and spoke nothing, but she could felt warm tears rolled down from her amber eyes, slowly to her cheeks. No sobs. She had done it very silently that no one –even the on duty doctor- noticed it.

The third time she cried was the day of Archangel's departure to the space. She cried a little although nobody noticed it. She feared that her comrade would never be able to make it, also feared that one of them might get killed. She knew how dangerous and impossible their mission was, so she hoped desperately that all of them will return to the earth safely. And they did return safely after all. She was really glad when they returned to Onogoro safely, but at that time, she couldn't met them. She had so many important meetings, so she just sent them a welcome home message.

Fourth, was the day when Athrun returned to PLANT along with Meyrin, although she had prepared herself for that moment. Deep inside, she was aware that the day would ever came, and it really did, so, she managed herself to cry in front of nobody, neither her brother Kira nor her best friend Lacus. And she had decided to return her ring to him. She felt that there would be no hope for their relationship, so she just decided to put it to an end. Pain and sadness throbbed into her heart as she handed it back to Athrun, She knew, from the bottom of her broken heart, that she's still truly loved him, no matter what. But she also knew that they weren't meant to be, Athrun was belonged to ZAFT, he was appointed as the chairman at that time, supreme council vice chairman to be precise. He, also, already had Meyrin Hawke, the girl who had risked her life in order to save him during the second Bloody Valentine war, and the same girl who she had trusted him into. And there was no doubt that she, Cagalli Yula Athha, was belonged to Orb. Her father had trusted Orb into her tiny hands, a few seconds before his death. Orb was everything to her. She was willing to sacrifice anything for her country's sake, her time, her happiness, and also, her love. And if needed, she was willing to sacrifice her life, just like her father did.

And to her, Athrun merely just a small sacrifice, compared to her country and her responsibility. She was willing to end everything between them, all for the sake of her country. Another reason was because she felt that Athrun Zala deserved someone better, not a girl who nearly wed another guy when he's not around, and not a girl who barely have time for him.

After his departure to PLANT, she seemed as tough and as fierce as usual, she argued with the ministers as sharply as before, she even did her works better than she used to be, but when the night came, she secretly locked herself inside her room, and wept desperately. She covered her face with her pillow, so hard that nobody, and so did Mana, her caretaker, wouldn't hear her. There she was, cried and wept until the dawn had broken.

The Fourth time was when Kira departed to PLANT. He was appointed as the supreme commander of ZAFT. Kira was the only one she had after her father's death. With his moving to PLANT, it means that she'd be left alone in Orb. Without Lacus (she had been appointed as the chairwoman of Terminal, so she had moved before Kira did) and without Kira. And also, without Athrun, her first love, her beloved one. She didn't cry when she and Kira bid each other good bye, but she did it secretly afterwards.

She had had enough. So, she didn't notice that her self was gradually changing. Too much suffering she had endured, so often and so painfully that she was getting used to it. In fact, she slowly turned colder. And in order to survive enduring those pain, she inadvertently numbed her heart. She wasn't like her old self. She used to be harsh, indecisive, short tempered, feisty, and loud-mouthed. She had changed her self, in order to hide the wound inside her heart.

That was exactly why she felt numb. She felt like one litre of morphine was had been injected into her self. But she didn't care though; she sure needed the morphine in order to survive enduring her sufferings.

* * *

**Author's note**: Review! Just Review! Critics and suggestions are highly accepted! My stomach hurts… Gimme some antacids!

And, should I make the story faster? Like, reducing the self thoughts and flash backs... Give me some advice please ;)

Thank Jesus for His continuous blessings KOF!

Gbu…


	5. 変わったことが生まれた

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

* * *

_**Chapter Five: Kawatta Koto Ga Umareta**_

A few days had passed after they had arrived to the orphanage, and the time for their departure to Scandinavia had already come.

When they finally arrived at Scandinavia, Denmark region to be precise, they had expected that the weather would be chillier than the one in Onogoro, and Kira didn't like it, he couldn't stand cold weather. Unlike Cagalli and Lacus, she could endure any kind of weather. The early spring at Copenhagen was the same at later winter at Orb, especially at Onogoro Island.

Lacus seemed looking forward to it, she was busy choosing her dress for the ball before they left to the party, but no matter how many dress she had possessed, she always ended up choosing her purplish pink one. No wonder, it was her favourite colour, and she felt very lucky that her parents had manipulated her genes so she can have pink hair.

Cagalli was different; she wasn't as interested as Lacus in attending the ball. She'd just attend it because of her responsibilities as the chief representative of Orb. In fact, she wasn't interested at all, and she really disliked that kind of parties, because she had to appear perfectly and lady-likely, and also, the guests there were always full of dissimilation. But if she had to attend, she would just speak a little, just say hello to some important person, and then she backed up from the crowd, looking for some space to doze off alone.

She didn't usually choose her dress by herself; she always got Mana to help her doing this. But that time, she, somehow, wanted to choose her dress alone, so she ended up choosing her favourite pastel green one. Green was definitely her favourite colour, she didn't know why, though. It was a bit unusual for a girl to have green as their favourite colour, but she's different from the usual girls. She didn't like girly stuffs, such as cosmetics, dresses, and so on. When she was younger, she used struggle and shriek as loud as she can if someone forced her to wear a dress and do her make ups. When she was sixteen, it took a whole two hours for Mana to get her clad in a dress, just the dress, not to mention fixing her hair and doing her make-ups. She preferred eliminating a thousand of soldiers by herself rather than wearing a dress in front of tens of people. But it was past, she was getting more and more matured that she'd realized that she, like or dislike, had to wear a dress for that kind of occasion.

As time goes by, she didn't hate dresses again. She was just didn't hate it, but she disliked it either. She still didn't like the uncomfortable sensation she get while she's wearing a dress, but she didn't hate it, and didn't mind wearing it.

Recalling her memories when Kira had called her a boy twice, she smiled at herself.

"Cagalli, have you picked your dress?", she could her Lacus' voice from through her bedroom door. They spend their days at Copenhagen staying at Lacus' house. She was a Scandinavian born, so she used to spend her days in that house before her moving to PLANT. She could tell it from the pictures that were hanged on the living room walls of that house. There was a picture of Siegel Clyne and his wife, Lacus' mother. She supposed that the picture was taken when Lacus' mother was carrying her, she could tell from the woman's state. And inside the other picture was a three-year-old Lacus with her father. But there wasn't any picture consisted her and her mother. Lacus had never seen her mother; she was died giving birth to Lacus.

"Sure I have, Lacus", she answered slyly. Somehow, she knew exactly how Lacus felt. Cagalli was motherless, the same as Lacus. Some people thought that her tomboyish behaviour was caused by her having no mother, but she denied. _Just look at Lacus Clyne_, she thought, _she's motherless for God's sake, yet she behaved the exact opposite from me._

"Okay then", she replied, "May I come in?"

"For sure"

Lacus carefully opened the door, and she found Cagalli was sitting on her bed, her dressed lied beside her.

"Wow, that dress' nice, Cagalli", she walked towards the dress, examining it, "it does suit you very much"

"Thanks, Lacus", she thanked Lacus compliment, "But honestly, I don't really enjoy wearing dress, although I know that I have to"

"Just put that thing aside", she smiled, "This dress really suits you. Well, I have to say that green is really your colour, Cagalli. But why I never saw you wearing green dresses at the news?"

"It wasn't me who chose the dresses", she answered, "Mana did it"

"I see", she nodded, but suddenly her expression changed a bit, as if she realized something, "Hey, Cagalli, Mana isn't here, who's going to fix your hair?"

"Ah...", she looked a bit startled, "I wonder who… Maybe I'll do it myself…"

"Well, if that's the case…", she smirked, but her smirk was the prettiest smirk she'd ever seen, "…I'll do it for you, Cagalli"

"Uhhmm…"

"Trust me, you won't be dissatisfied", Lacus proceed to leave Cagalli's room, "I'll do it after you've done with your changing. And, make sure that you'll be ready in two hours, the place where they hold the ball is a bit far from here"

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_It sure was crowded over there_, he thought while his hand was holding a glass of wine, _a lot of girls was trying to speak with the Prince of Scandinavia, what an unpleasant environment. It's not that I'm jealous; it just seems like the prince in the famous fairytale, Cinderella, handsome but brainless. Well, he was better than Yuna Roma Seiran I suppose. The Prince wasn't a coward like him. And, well, he's good at negotiating. Well, he's not brainless I suppose. He's doing great for his age, but I know someone who's a royal birth, younger, but better when it comes to handling political affairs._

Athrun Zala stood by himself on the corner, he had arrived a little bit too early that he had to wait until the party would be started officially by the King of Scandinavia.

He sighed. _Life could never be this boring_, he thought.

At least the wine wasn't so bad according to his taste.

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Cagalli walked into the hall, but her mind wasn't there after all. She had let her mind went blank, and also, had let her feet which were covered by high heels walked automatically and perfectly. She had been trained not to trip when she walked in high heels, although she was able to do it perfectly when she reached nineteen.

Kira and Lacus were walking behind her, but sooner Kira caught up with her, and then walked beside her.

She soon noticed the guard was in front of the door, waiting for her to receive her invitation card. As she handed the invitation to the guard, she set a dim smile on her face.

"Miss Cagalli Yula Athha, the Chief Representative of United Emirates of Orb"

"Yes"

"You may enter"

"Thank you", she walked a few steps, but she promptly stopped, she was waiting for Kira and Lacus.

She turned back at them, and then gave them a hand wave.

Lacus handed her invitation to the guard.

"Miss Lacus Clyne, the Chairwoman of Terminal"

"Yes", she nodded, giving the guard her sweetest smile that it had made him blushed a little, Cagalli could hear the guard gasped when Lacus smiled to him, "And my companion, Commander Yamato of ZAFT"

"I see", he said, "You two may enter"

"Thank you"

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The ball had been started since two hours ago, yet she had already felt bored. She had talked with a lot of people; most of them are politicians, only a few of them who were military personnel.

She saw a lot of girls were trying to get some attention from the Prince of Scandinavia. _Stupid girls_, she thought, _you just didn't know how tough the royal life is, especially if you endured it as a girl. If you don't believe, just inquire me, and you'll sure get the best answers you've ever had._

Lacus and Kira were talking to some important person from Earth Alliance, and she had no intention to join them. Lacus seemed so spirited, it was obvious that she liked this kind of parties, and Kira too, although Kira seemed to like whatever Lacus liked. _As long as he's with his fiancée, he would be seen extremely pleasant_, she thought, smiling for them and for herself too.

She decided to look for another spot to doze off. It was her custom to doze off during parties; it always released her from her boredom.

She saw a balcony behind her, and she thought it would make a nice place for her to doze off. She backed off a few steps, very carefully so nobody would notice her gradual disappearance.

When she realized that nobody was looking at her direction, she backed off walking faster. Unfortunately, there was another person who had just arrived at the balcony, and he didn't notice Cagalli too.

She kept walking faster, and suddenly, she bumped into that person.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to…", she promptly apologized to the guy she had bumped into, but she suddenly went silent.

As she recognized the guy she had bumped into, she was lost in her thoughts.

Athrun, who turned away to see who had bumped him, was startled, because he really knew who the person was. He really knew her, and he was sure that he wasn't mistaken someone else as Cagalli.

He stood there, and anyone could tell from his face that he was unprepared to see her. And neither was she.

Her amber eyes widened in surprise. She didn't expect his appearance at the ball. He wasn't the PLANT Supreme Council Chairman, he was just the Vice-Chairman.

Amber ones met the emerald ones, as an awkward silence occurred between them.

But Athrun could tell that her eyes were no longer as vivid as before. They seemed tired, and desolate.

She forced herself to smile, and maintain a stable look on her face.

"Long time no see, Chairman Zala"

He looked startled. He never expected her to call him by his surname. It seemed that every syllable of his surname was tearing his heart apart.

"The same goes for you, Representative Athha"

Little did he know, that she was feeling the same way as he did.

She maintained the smile she had on her face, and tried hard not to lose herself. Not in front of Athrun, not this time, and not at such a place.

"What had brought you here?", she inquired politely, "I believe that the invitation was dedicated to Chairman Canaver, am I right?"

The truth was she's really unprepared to see him after she had lost contact with him for almost two and a half years. She was so surprised that she hoped the balcony would eat her alive, but of course she had known that it wouldn't happen. So she put an invisible mask upon her face so he wouldn't be able to know her feelings.

"Chairwoman Canaver couldn't attend this ball for some certain reasons", he answered, "So I come in spite of her"

He was really devastated at her behaviour. She behaved like nothing had happened between the two of them for the past four years. It was just like an ordinary meeting between a chairman and a representative. It was merely just politics, nothing personal.

"Oh, I see", and then she gazed back at the sky, avoiding eye contact with his emerald eyes. She knew exactly how the gleam of his eyes were, how they could assured her tenderly with no words needed, but now, they had become meaningless for her. Her heart had numbed, and she had barricaded her true self between lots of huge invisible walls. That was the only way she could stand talking to him without crying. She couldn't help it. The circumstances and the pain that throbbed into her heart had forced her to do so. She blamed nobody for that, she knew it wasn't Athrun's fault, it was her decision.

She sure was having a hard time, because deep inside, she knew, she really really knew that those soft and gentle emerald eyes still had the same gleam she had longed for a long time.

He felt his heart beating faster as he gazed though her amber eyes, but now he was stabbed by guilt after he had found out that the gleam of her eyes wasn't as warm and vivid as they used to be. He could only see her invisible mask, but he realized that her liveliness was still there, except it was hidden, and he had to admit that she hide it perfectly.

But he couldn't do anything about it. He could do nothing to get her old self back at that moment. Her expression was totally unreadable.

Although she seemed as tough and as stable as a diamond, but she knew that she could maintain that stance for no longer, so she just decided to avoid him. She couldn't stand his emerald gaze for any longer, otherwise she would lose herself, and she didn't want that to happen.

"Excuse me, chairman Zala", she once again, set up a false smile on her face, "I'm afraid I have to leave now", she turned to the opposite direction, her back was against him, saying, "Thanks for the company"

She walked a few steps, leaving him in despair, alone in the balcony.

He was deep into his thoughts as he watched her walking further and further from him.

Am I going to let her, he thought, after all these years? Am I going to repeat the same mistake twice?

He couldn't able to resist the pressure of his feelings towards her, he had completely lost his mind, and then he grabbed one of her arms.

Cagalli stopped walking, and slowly, she turned her head upon his direction. Once again, emerald ones met amber ones.

"Chairman Zala?", she looked confused at his sudden action.

"Cagalli, I…", he tried to explain something, but Cagalli immediately interrupted him.

"I'd be glad if you're willing to release your grip upon my arm, Chairman Zala", she asked him politely, but she had set up a cold and stoic look on her face, so stoic that it would make him extremely surprised at her sudden change of expression, "…because the medias are here too and this stance may caused some unpleasant rumours about us and we don't want that to happen, do we?"

He tried to say something, but her coldness just cruelly ruined his mind, and made him cancel his attempt to talk more with her.

Unwillingly, he gradually loosened up his grip, until she was completely freed.

"Thanks", she mumbled, and then proceeded to leave, until they both realized that someone interrupted them.

"Kira, guess what?", a very soft familiar voice said, "Athrun's here too!"

They both glared at the direction of the where the voice came, and then they found Lacus, who beside her was Kira.

"Yo, Athrun…", Kira spoke to him, "…I didn't expect you to be here"

"So do I", Athrun replied, he was no longer thinking about Cagalli thanks to Kira's arrival, "What brings you here?"

"Lacus had asked me to accompany her", he answered, "How about you?"

"Chairman Canaver couldn't attend, so I come in spite of her"

"I see…", Kira nodded, but he promptly gave him a wide smile, "…it's been a long time, isn't it?"

"Yeah…", Athrun smiled too, "…it's been two years to be precise"

Feeling reassured, Lacus smiled, moved aside, and then she pulled Cagalli to another corner of the balcony.

"Sweet, isn't it?", she said, "The reunion of the two friends"

Cagalli just gave her a simple nod and a plain smile. People who didn't know her would assume it as happiness, but not Lacus. Although she's a calm woman, she could guess anyone's feeling sharply, so nobody can hide their true feelings in front of her. She's very good at reading someone's face and expression, well; in this case, she still could read Cagalli's unreadable and stoic face. She could tell that Cagalli was shocked from her face, but she wouldn't say anything about that, not until Cagalli spoke it herself.

Athrun was having fun chatting and blabbering with Kira, but he still couldn't help himself not to take a glimpse at Cagalli at that time. Kira didn't notice him, he was too happy meeting Athrun in such a place.

It wasn't because he's not happy meeting with Kira again, no, he was definitely very happy, but another person had distracted his mind that he could barely concentrate on their talks.

Kira and Athrun spent almost half an hour chatting, when suddenly Lacus set up a smirk on her beautiful face, and the smirk was the prettiest smirk in the universe.

She could read Athrun's face when he met Cagalli, somehow, she knew that he was deeply still in love with Cagalli.

She could read Cagalli's face even when she's wearing her invisible mask and her stoic attitude; she knew definitely that Cagalli's still love Athrun. She could even see everything behind her defensive walls of her hearts.

And then, an idea (almost a brilliant one) popped up in her head. _We can make them get together again_, she thought, _Kira will help me for sure._

So, without thinking any further, she went towards Athrun, and then she asked, "Hey, Athrun, it's been a long time isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, Lacus", he answered. Athrun was a bit confused about Lacus' sudden inquiry.

"How about spending the rest of your holidays in my resort house? It's on the countryside of Copenhagen, it's a bit far from the capital, but the air's really good there"

"Really?", he looked unsure, "Well, maybe I should consider it…"

"Hey, Athrun, I'm staying there too", Kira spurred, "Why just you join us? I, Lacus, and Cagalli are staying there; it will be more fun if you're with us"

Athrun thought about it. Cagalli was staying there too, that would mean that Athrun would see Cagalli almost everyday and every time. Honestly, he was a bit afraid of Cagalli, he was afraid if the truth he's about to face would be unpleasant, he wasn't prepared to see her lively amber eyes had turned dull now, and he was unready to unveiled the hidden truth behind her change.

Cagalli, who heard what they had talked was, felt surprised. If Athrun agreed to Lacus' offering, which would mean that she'll face Athrun almost everyday and every time. She didn't want to see him that often, she had been trying to forget him for more than two years, and she had to endure the pain of seeing him again, everyday.

"So?", Kira asked again, "Just answer it, Athrun. Nobody would object if you're staying with us", he turned upon Cagalli, and then asked her, "Right, Cagalli?"

"Sure", Cagalli smiled, "More people, more fun"

Seeing her smile, he was a bit surprised. Her smile was completely different from the one she used to put in her face. Her smile was a meaningless one; it was just merely for formality. It wasn't a warm smile, but it wasn't cold also, it was a plain and totally meaningless smile.

Athrun had made up his decisions. He still saw some hope.

"Okay then, I'll join you guys starting tomorrow", he smiled, "After I've finished my works"

"Good. We'll be waiting for you"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was near midnight, but Kira was still sat at his desk, his laptop in front of him, and his fingers were typing on it with frightening speed. Lacus had changed into her usual dress, the light blue one, and she realized that Kira hadn't slept, so she went to talk a bit with him.

Kira heard a couple of knocks from his bedroom door.

"It's me", said her.

"Oh, Lacus", he turned to the door and then answer, "Just come in, Lacus. I didn't lock the door"

"Okay then", she slowly open the door up and then said, "Am I disturbing you?"

"No, of course not", he stood up from his chair, and then sat on his bed, "Sit beside me"

Lacus promptly sat beside him, and after that, she leaned her head gently on his shoulder.

"Cagalli's acting strange", she said, saying the thing that had been butting into her head since they went home from the ball.

"Sure she is", Kira replied, "But we can do nothing about that. It's her decision to behave like that"

"I know", she nodded, "I wonder if our plan would run smoothly, Kira"

"I hope it will", Kira answered.

* * *

**Spoiler for chapter 16 ( currently in progress on my CPU):**

"Don't be stupid, Athrun", she walked out of the conference room, holding her laptop so firmly in her determination, "You know I won't"

"Why?", he tried to enquire her. He didn't believe that she's avoiding him, again. Not after things that had happened at Scandinavia, at the cost of Copenhagen, and their last reunion.

"I just don't want", fastening her speed, she talked to him with cold harsh tone, "And please don't ask further reasons. Ah, and don't kiss me here the same way you did at the coast of Copenhagen, there are a lot of people waiting for me"

He sure was surprised at her extremely cold behaviour.

"See you, Chairman Zala", she walked away, once again, turning her back to him.

Was it a revenge she wanted? He had left her once, or twice, maybe. She still didn't believe him. Although he was assigned at Orb permanently, and she could met him everyday if she wanted, and also it was obvious that she was still deeply in love with him, no, she didn't want to repeat the same mistake twice. She believed at his promise twice, and got betrayed by him twice.

_I just want you to know Athrun,_ she thought while she glanced at him again, silently, with sad look on her amber eyes, _it's hard to keep a promise. However, I only can promise you one thing, I will love you forever. But it doesn't meant that I will be with you forever. Just let it flow, okay? I'm sorry saying that to you, but,_ she left that building, _still lost in her thoughts, somehow, for me, it takes a lot of time to give a second chance to you._

* * *

**Author's note**: Thanks for reading! Please review!!! Please! I'm a rookie so you guys have to give me a lot of advice! 

And... More reviews please... I should fasten the update... Should I update two chapters each week?

Geez, this terrible headache is killing me... Btw, Chapter 16 is on progress now.

Thank Jesus for His continuous blessings KOF!

Gbu…


	6. 不幸せ

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

* * *

_**Chapter Six: Fushiawase**_

It was near midnight, but Kira was still sat at his desk, his laptop in front of him, and his fingers were typing on it with frightening speed.

Lacus had changed into her usual dress, the light blue one, and she realized that Kira hadn't slept, so she went to talk a bit with him.

Kira heard a couple of knocks from his bedroom door.

"It's me", said her.

"Oh, Lacus", he turned to the door and then answer, "Just come in, Lacus. I didn't lock the door"

"Okay then", she slowly open the door up and then said, "Am I disturbing you?"

"No, of course not", he stood up from his chair, and then sat on his bed, "Sit beside me"

Lacus promptly sat beside him, and after that, she leaned her head gently on his shoulder.

"Cagalli's acting strange", she said, saying the thing that had been butting into her head since they went home from the ball.

"Sure she is", Kira replied, "But we can do nothing about that. It's her decision to behave like that"

"I know", she nodded, "I wonder if our plan would run smoothly, Kira"

"I hope it will", Kira answered.

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Athrun sat on his desk, his laptop was already shut, and he had finished all of his works half an hour ago. He was about to sleep, but somehow, he didn't feel sleepy. Many things were bothering his mind. His sudden meeting with Cagalli, and his decision to spent the rest of the holidays in Lacus house. He had been wondering whether his decision was correct or wrong.

His self was torn into two parts, the first part wanted to see Cagalli's usual smile, but the second was too afraid of learning the truth. It had seemed that the two parts of his self had struggled inside his heart, each other wanted to be the champion, and gained control of his action.

However, the first part had won the match inside Athrun's mind.

He had decided to return to her. He knew that fate was giving him a second chance, although fate also had separated him and Cagalli years ago.

He wanted to return the ruby ring to the owner, no matter what would it take.

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Clyne family's residence wasn't small, but unlike some politicians' enormous mansions, it's wasn't too small either; it had the perfect size for five persons living together inside it. Perhaps Lacus' father had planned to have a bigger family, but since Lacus' mother died giving birth to her, the house was just filled by two persons. And when Lacus had reached six years old, her father moved to PLANT, along with her. And after Sigel Clyne's death, the house was inherited to her.

The house itself had a quite large garden, and the flowers which were planted there had started blooming. The flowers had made a beautiful accent to her house; they had made her house looked more enjoyable than it should be. The sunrays had enlightened her house through the window, and it sure shone to the flowers too. And in the middle of her garden, there were two swings there. Her father had made it for her years ago, when she's still very young. Although the swings were quite old, it seemed as tough as ever, and it didn't stain even the slightest bit.

Lacus smiled from her bedroom window. Spring is coming, she thought, unfortunately I won't be here when they have bloomed perfectly; I'd be working at PLANT again at that time

She walked out of her bedroom, down the staircases to the dining room at the ground floor. There she found Kira and Cagalli had sat there, waiting for her.

"You sure are late, Lacus", Cagalli said, sipping her tea, "What took you so long?"

"Nothing", she answered with a smile, "I just enjoy the view from my bedroom window. It's beautiful"

"Oh…", she nodded, and then drank her tea again.

Kira was sitting beside Cagalli, he was reading a newspaper, which, unfortunately, was written in a language that he didn't understand.

"Oh, good morning, Lacus", he smiled, "can you read this?"

"I can read and speak a little _Svenska_", she answered, filling her cup with hot tea and then grabbed a toast, "but I never used that language again since I moved to PLANT"

"I see", he closed the newspaper, and then grabbed another toast, "Sleep well?"

"Definitely", Lacus smiled as her hands were spreading the butter onto her toast, "How about you?"

"Of course I did"

"Oh, I remembered something", Lacus suddenly stood up, and then took something from a telephone desk nearby, and then spoke to Kira, "I want you to buy these stuffs for me at the city… Could you?"

"No problem", he took the list from Lacus' hands, "Do you know when Athrun will come here?"

Cagalli's expression suddenly changed when she heard that 'Athrun' word. She had completely forgotten that he would spend the rest of the holidays at Clyne's residence too. Her mind went completely fuzzy yesterday, but she had a nice sleep after all.

"He didn't mentioned the exact time yesterday, but probably he'll come after lunch", Kira answered.

"I see", she smiled, "You'll be back before lunch, won't you?"

"Sure I will", Kira answered, "But I think there's a problem… The PLANT embassy car license was yours, Lacus…"

"Then I'll go with you, Kira", Cagalli replied, "I'll take you to the store with my car. I mean, Orb embassy car… I'm doing nothing here anyway"

"Umm… Okay then, I'll go with you..", Kira answered, "…but with one condition"

"What?"

"You're not the one who's driving, Cagalli"

"I beg your pardon, Kira?", she gave him a deadly glare.

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Lacus was having a nice day dreaming time when she suddenly realized that someone had arrived in front of her house's gate.

The security system in the house wasn't really up to date, so she had to speak personally to anyone who come to her house through the intercom, and then entered the code to open it. It was different from her house at PLANT, which had the latest and the best security system.

"Yes, Lacus Clyne here", she spoke through the intercom, but then she realized that it was Athrun who was asking permission from her to let him enter the house, "Oh, Athrun"

"Yo, Lacus", he greeted her from the other line.

"Well, come in, Athrun", she pressed a few buttons, and then the gate opened itself

"Thanks", he drove through the gate of her house. Lacus, who had opened the door, immediately closed it, and then went to the front door to greet him.

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"Hey, Cagalli, you must've known that PLANT's Supreme Council's going to do some reshuffle, right?", Kira asked his twin sister. They were shopping in some supermarket in the city, and Kira's the one who carried all of their soon-to-be-purchases, while Cagalli's busy checking what's left on their list.

"Of course I know", she was double checking on the list, "But it doesn't concern me, does it? Their reshuffling…"

"But what if some radical politicians' got elected and replace Chairwoman Canaver…"

"I don't want to think about that", she stopped, glaring at him, "Before minding another country's problem, mind your own country's first. But surely it would be bad for us… Well, just don't think about it Kira, I haven't been working since the previous week all thanks to my annoying sickness"

"It was your fault, you're the one who caused yourself to be sick…", Kira absent-mindedly spoke as he walked behind her, trying to keep up with her while carrying all their stuffs, "…you're the one who overworked yourself…", Kira suddenly stopped when he felt that Cagalli's glaring deadly at him, almost as frightening as ten Messiahs.

"Uhmm…", he looked sweat dropped, avoiding eye contact with her, "…It's just"

"Fooled ya!", she suddenly grinned at him, "Just kidding. I know it's my fault forcing my body more than my limits, so forgive me for getting you and your-beloved-soon-to-be-wife worried, okay? I won't do that again for sure, since it was no fun to begin with"

Kira smiled. He never thought that his twin sister would look this…, sweet. Yes, sweet. _Honestly I don't think sweet is suitable for describing her now_, he unintentionally shook his head in order to find a word that suited her condition that time, but unfortunately he didn't.

"Hey, Cagalli", he walked closer to her, "You've changed"

"Of course. I'm going twenty for God's sake, and I'd be surprised if you aren't, since we both were born on the same day"

"No, that's not the point", he looked at her desperately, "Forget it"

Cagalli turned to him, and suddenly spoke, "I know what you meant. But I see no problems in that"

"Care to tell me what had happened between you two at the ball?"

"Not much", her face turned into a strange plain expression, "Just an ordinary meeting between a chairman and a representative"

Kira sighed. He knew that they were really into their past. But he couldn't, and would do nothing about it. He wondered if his and Lacus plan to get Athrun and Cagalli together again was going to work or not.

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The sun was getting itself ready to set on the west, as she walked inside her room, and then slammed the door.

Somehow, Cagalli felt that she could no longer maintain her calm and stable stance. She had been pretending that she's alright, and she had forced herself not to cry. But she was in absolute pain. The wound of her heart which she had carefully hidden since two years ago was going to reveal itself.

She couldn't stand it.

She had to admit it. She loved Athrun. She's always loved him; even now she still loved him. But seeing his emerald eyes somehow brings out the wound in her heart.

She didn't want him to penetrate the walls she had built, she was tired of anything. She was too scared to try again, but her heart longed for his love terribly. She didn't know how to act at that kind of situation.

She had forced herself to smile to him, but her smile was an empty one.

She didn't know what to do, really.

"Cagalli, may I…?", Kira asked her permission to enter her room, but she promptly interrupted him, saying, "Yeah, you may come in, Kira"

"No, I'm just telling you that Lacus wants to visit a night fair at some village near here, will you go with us?"

"Sure", she answered, although she wasn't very fond of that sort of thing, she hoped that something would distract her mind from thinking about Athrun.

"Then be ready in an hour", Kira replied, "We'll be waiting at the living room"

Cagalli sighed. She had known that this day, sooner or later, would come.

* * *

**Author's note:** Thanks for reading! Please review!!! Please! I'm a rookie so you guys have to give me a lot of advice!

_**Important notes:** In my story, Athrun was assigned at Sextilis-One, he was the representative there. And Kira was assigned at Aprilius-One as the Supreme Commander of ZAFT military, while Lacus was assigned at Aprilius-Two as Terminal Chairwoman. But Kira often went to Lacus' mansion, so they frequently met each other. Yzak Joule and Dearka Elthman were assigned at December-One. And Cagalli's at Onogoro for sure, with Kisaka and Amagi._

_Another explanation again, Cagalli had returned the ring to Athrun when he left to ZAFT two years ago. He was elected as a Council Member that time, and he joined the Moderate Faction led by Eileen Canaver. Shinn and Lunamaria were married. _

_Mwu La Flaga and Murrue Ramius had married a year after the war ended, and both of them stayed at Onogoro, although they seldom met Cagalli. Both of them still worked for the Orb military. Miriallia was still working as a reporter, while she continued her studies at a certain college. And at January, C.E. 75, she had graduated, and became a full time journalist. The rest of the Archangel Crew stayed at Orb. Andorew Waltfield stayed at Orb too_.

_That's all from Nii-Blueberryfreak…_

Thank Jesus for His continuous blessings KOF!

Gbu…


	7. もう一同君に会う

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

* * *

_**Chapter Seven: Mou Ichidou Kimi Ni Au**_

_The night fair wasn't so bad at all_, Athrun thought, as he walked behind Kira. Kira and Lacus were in front of him, they were holding each other's hands tightly that it seemed like there was glue between it.

Lot's of stalls were there, and most of the people who participate were Scandinavian gypsies. Lacus seemed so happy to be there, she said that she used to come and visit that kind of fair when she was still a little girl, together with her father.

Athrun was enjoying the atmosphere, there was nothing like this at PLANT, so basically it's his first time. Actually, they had never been to such a fair, except Lacus, she was born in the Kingdom of Scandinavia. Athrun was born in PLANT, and it was obvious that there weren't such events like this at PLANT. Both Cagalli and Kira were born in earth, but they were separated when the riots occurred, so Kira was raised at Copernicus, meanwhile, Cagalli was raised at Onogoro.

Cagalli was walking beside Athrun, her face was neither cold nor stoic, and it was just plain, which basically means that she showed no expression. She didn't show any emotion, although she enjoyed the fair a lot. But she couldn't think straight, her mind was fogged by her silent thoughts. She had been pretending since her second reunion with Athrun. So, she didn't notice that Kira and Lacus had gone somewhere else.

So the two of them just kept on walking, without knowing their directions nor where they were heading to.

They didn't talk to each other, although they had been together like that for almost an hour, or more, perhaps.

"Cagalli, I think we're lost", finally Athrun encouraged himself to ask her, "Do you have any ideas of Kira and Lacus' whereabouts?"

"No", she answered, "I case of that, let's go there", she pointed to a place that seemed to have a higher altitude than the place where they stood, but was still the part of the night fair, although it wasn't as crowded as here.

"Perhaps we could try to find them if we looked at them from there", she smiled to him, but it was just merely an empty smile. She had hidden everything from him, as if she wanted to run away from him desperately, but she couldn't.

"Okay then", Athrun replied at disappointment, "Let's go there"

Athrun followed her steps, while he was deep into his thoughts again. Somehow, her expressionless smile had stabbed painfully into his heart. He felt guilt raging upon him, since he had known that the person who had added more sufferings into her life was him. And the way she acted at that time hurt him also.

Finally, they arrived at the place which had small fence. The fence was just merely a decoration, because it seemed so weak and nearly broken down.

She wasn't minded not talking with anyone at that moment, because she just want to enjoy herself.

However, Athrun interrupted her dozing off with a surprising question.

"Cagalli"

"Hm? What's up, Athrun?"

"I want to talk about us", he continued hesitantly. He was a bit afraid of her answers, but he wanted to know what had made her change so badly that he ignored his fear.

Cagalli, turned at him, frowned, and then she gazed at the whole place, again, "We have nothing to talk about, Athrun. It's all over"

"Why did you call me 'Chairman Zala' yesterday?"

"Because it was at the ball and the media would be suspicious if I were to call you by your first name"

They both paused. Athrun was unable to continue since he was stunned by her cold statement. And Cagalli couldn't do it either, she was sure that she had reached her limits.

Athrun grabbed her hand, but she quickly broke it free. She didn't dare to look straight into his eyes. She felt as his gaze would hurt her deeper and deeper, and although she pretended to look stable, she wasn't. In fact, her heart hurt terribly when she saw his face, and now she didn't have any intention to continue their conversation. She didn't want to, unless she wanted to be hurt more.

"Cagalli, I…"

"Enough, Athrun", she snapped, and then pleaded him, "Please, I've had enough"

Her statement back then, however, had caused chaos in his mind.

She couldn't stand the pain that was stinging in her heart. She knew that she was undoubtedly still love him, but she knew too that they weren't meant to be. They weren't like Kira and Lacus. He had hurt her, and she had hurt him also. They both had made a lot of mistakes.

She didn't want to be hurt by someone else again, so she, somehow, refused to trust anyone, except Kira and Lacus. Because if someone puts trust into another, he or she had to be prepared to face betrayal too. Trust and betrayal are like light and darkness; they are unable to be separated.

She had trusted Athrun when he was leaving to PLANT two years ago, and wearing the ring he gave her, heck, he didn't return to her.

Athrun had trusted her when he left Orb, but shortly when he arrived at Minerva, he heard the news about Cagalli's nearly marrying another guy.

"I've had enough of this, and I don't want more", she whispered, this time wasn't as plain as before, but it did seem terribly sad and devastated.

"Why?", he asked, almost in desperation.

"Because no matter what happened, I will always be Cagalli Yula Athha of Orb, daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha and you'll still be Athrun Zala of ZAFT, son of Patrick Zala", she turned to him.

He felt guilt and sadness stabbed into his heart as he saw her face in front of him.

She faced him directly, but this time she had abandoned her stoic look. She was smiling to him, and it wasn't the plain one. It was a smile that she truly produced from her heart, a sincere smile. She didn't even remember when the last time she smiled like that was.

Heck, the sincere smile of hers, although it wasn't a fake one like before, was filled with sadness. It wasn't a happy or relieved smile, it was a sad smile. The gleam of her eyes was no longer dull and senseless. She had given him a sad smile, as if she had to swallow a painful truth.

He gazed deeply into her amber eyes, those pair he had been missed so desperately for the last two years. No mails, no phone calls, not even simple short messages. They both were very busy regarding their responsibilities they were trusted to upon their nation.

He knew exactly what she had meant at her last sentences.

"Responsibilities…", he murmured dispassionately.

She nodded, still with the same sad face. But then, she felt that her eyes was turning a little bit teary, so she looked at another direction, and avoiding eye contact with him.

She gazed at the fair below, the festive nuance that was created by the colourful stands, booth, and lamps were shining continuously. They were shining as if they were laughing, mocking at her inability to strain herself from showing her true feelings.

"I think you can understand that", she continued, "That's the reason why I want to end this"

He heard it very clearly. Her statement, her reason to end everything between them. But somehow, it had knocked his sense out from his head. He couldn't think further, his mind was completely in chaos, he didn't want to lose her again-

He hugged her from her back absent-mindedly. He knew that she would probably angry at him, maybe she'd struggle to break free, perhaps she would pushed him and slapped him hard, but he didn't care anymore.

He felt her back against his chest as he put her inside his embrace. His hands around her waist, and he pulled her closer to him, and tighter, as if he wouldn't let her go again. He bended himself a little lower so he could place his head right beside hers. He realized that he had been longing for this moment for more than two years, and how he missed her inside his arms for the past two years. It was just two years, but to him, even a day would be felt almost the same as eternity.

She gasped for a split second, but then she realized his warmth slowly absorbed into her body. She always liked his warm embrace. But somehow, his warmth eventually hurt her heart more than ever. She felt a slight pain upon her chest as he hugged her tightly.

She wanted to break free from his hug, but she couldn't. Was it because she missed him so, or because she couldn't maintain her stability, she didn't know. What she knew now was she really enjoyed his embrace, it soothed her aching heart, but she didn't wish to continue any longer, because fear had popped out into her head.

She feared that if she let herself embraced by him again, she would become used to it, and she would probably be hurt more when they parted. She believed that they weren't meant to be although they were deeply fallen into each other. She had tried to forget him for the past two years, but she didn't make it. It was obvious, she loved him.

They both went silent for a few minutes. They both had let themselves fallen into each other's, feeling each other's presence and warmth as the time elapsed, and recorded every split second of it into their memory.

"Athrun…", finally she broke out the silence, "…let me-"

"No", he cut her words, demanding that he wasn't about to let her go, "At least not now, Cagalli"

He knew from the way she responded that she still had her feelings towards him. And he knew also that neither fate nor destiny allowed them to own each other at that moment. So he wanted to be with her, just to stay beside her, as long as he can, and he would unwillingly let her go until the time for them to be parted again had came.

"At least not now, eh?", she asked to herself, smiling bitterly, "How much longer 'now' is? A week?"

They both went silent, again. But deep inside, they had known the answer for both of them. Because when they weren't seeing each other, even one day would felt like an eternity.

"I don't know, and I don't even bother to know", Athrun answered, his arms were still around her.

She pulled away and broke the embrace, but shortly after that, she turned to him, smiling.

He gazed deeply into her amber eyes, and he smiled too. She found out that his hands were around her waist, holding her possessively.

"Me too", she whispered, but not looking at him, her face blushed, and she tried to hide it from him.

They knew that only had a few days left before they would return to their places again. So they had decided to follow their hearts, only for 'now', the time when they're seeing each other. No words were needed to describe their feelings and their agreement at that time; their hearts had known it all without even a single word.

And so, Chairman Athrun Zala of PLANT, together with Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha of Orb, they both had decided to leave their burdens and responsibilities, just for 'now'.

There was only a little time for them just to be simple and plain about themselves. Their responsibilities had forced them to be Chairman Athrun Zala of PLANT and Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha of Orb, not just simple Athrun and Cagalli.

Although fate and destiny had been so cruel to them years ago, they had given them another chance just to be simple Athrun and Cagalli again. Were the fate and destiny was being nice to them, they didn't know. As long as they have their moments together, and their undying love for each other, they didn't mind fate and destiny playing with their lives, although they didn't like it.

"It's getting late", she murmured.

"I know", he answered lightly, "Let's enjoy the fair before it ends"

"Okay", she replied, smiling to him.

Athrun caught her hand, and then he held it tight, not willing to release it. She was hesitant to receive it at first, her face blushed a little when her palm came in contact with his, but she held it tightly too. He placed his fingers in between hers, and he could feel that she didn't mind at all.

They both walked together, holding their hands.

"Athrun", she called him softly, "Do you know about the story of Hikoboshi and Orihime?"

"Hikoboshi and Orihime?", he thought for a while, and then he realized it, "Oh, did you mean Altair and Vega?"

Hikoboshi and Orihime was an old fairy tale about a couple who only able to see each other only one night in a year. The tale itself was originated at the east region of Asia, including Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and East China. Athrun wasn't an Asian descent for sure, but his mother knew a lot of fairy tales, and she had told him during his childhood. He wasn't a fairy tale enjoyer; he just liked the way his mother did it. And Cagalli, although she had a little Asian blood flow inside her, she didn't know the story about Hikoboshi and Orihime until her friend told her about it. She always hated fairytales, especially the type that has princesses in distress inside it. The reason she hate it was because she was a princess and she knew that being a princess is harder than being a Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel. The second reason was she felt that the princesses in the tales were very weak and unable to defend themselves. For example, if she's a Cinderella, she'd just take her Akatsuki and then bashed her step-mother and step-sisters. And if she's a snow white, she'd just stab the witch in her heart so the witch would've died in an instant. And if she's Rapunzel, the tale would never been existed because she hated having long hair. Also, if she's Sleeping Beauty, she'd slap the unknown prince who kissed her without asking her permission.

And the third reason she hated it more was because, she didn't have her prince risking his life in order to save her.

She glanced at Athrun, and she thought that he might be her prince, but she shook her head in order to snap the truth out from her mind. The truth was, she loved her, and he loved her too, but love wasn't everything that required for being together forever and living happily ever after. Don't forget responsibilities, genetic divide, nations, politics, and also, wars.

"Yes, whatever you call it"

He smiled at her reply. She had returned to her usual behaviour, the feisty and harsh one.

"They are only able to see each other only for one night in each year", she continued.

"Don't you think that they resemble us?", Athrun turned to her, and found that she's a bit startled at his statement before, "Hikoboshi resembles me, and Orihime resembles you, although you don't really look like a princess…"

_(**a/n:** Orihime is a Japanese name, and the word 'Hime' from 'Orihime' means princess)_

"Sorry if I didn't look like a princess…", she looked really annoyed at the word 'princess', but then her expression changed, "…but…, maybe you're right"

"Do you mind about this?", he asked her, "The chances of our meeting each other is quite impossible…"

"As long as we have our time together even for a short period, I don't mind", she said hesitantly, she didn't want to think about that, "Although we are about to be separated again, as long as we're together now, we'd have another memories to treasure in the future, and we could wait for another chance, even though it's nearly impossible"

Athrun smiled at her answer, and then held her hand tighter than before.

He didn't mind it at all.

* * *

**Author's note**: Thanks for reading my fic… And I hope you guys can give me some useful critics and advice… Well, flames accepted to I never cared much about them. I'm a rookie so I need more advices! Thank you very much… 

Cagalli's feeling a bit complicated, isn't it? Well, actually it's growing more and more complicated at chapter 16-18 but relax, it's going to have a happy end ;)

YAY!!! EASTER HOLIDAY FINALLY! HAPPY EASTER GUYS!

Thanks to My Lord Jesus Christ who has sacrificed His life for me…

And thanks to my reviewers also... I couldn't mentioned your name one by one, but, yeah I promise, I'll mentioned ALL OF YOU GUYZ at chapter 10... Sooo... Please keep reading this fic, coz I'll do my best! I LUV YA ALL!!!

God Bless you guys

Oh, I'll post chapter 8 tomorrow morning and chapter nine on Sunday evening (maybe)


	8. 二人で歩いている

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters.**

**Guyz, i'm sure that slowly, i'm turning into a-die-hard-AsuCaga-hardcore-fans... They're the best couple i've ever seen**

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

* * *

_**Chapter Eight: Futari De Aruite Iru**_

"Good evening, Miss… Would you like to visit our fortune telling stall?"

Cagalli, who was walking side by side with Athrun, looked startled, and then pointed herself while saying, "Me?"

"Yes", the girl answered. Cagalli stared at her, and she found that the girl was a gipsy, a young one to be precise. She looked very generous and kind.

Cagalli herself didn't really like fortune telling, according to her, all fortune tellers are deceiver. But she couldn't just stand there staring at an-innocent-look girl who were eyeing her with puppy dog eyes. The girl was very young, about fourteen perhaps. And her puppy dog eyes were much more dangerous than Kira's.

"Please, Miss?", she pleaded to Cagalli, "It's not expensive"

That's not the point. Cagalli had enough money to pay for it; in fact, she had enough money to buy everything she wanted. The problem was she didn't want her fortune told. She never interested in them and never wanted to believe them.

I don't like fortune telling for God's sake, she thought, but I couldn't stand this girl's eyes

She glanced at Athrun, asking his opinion about this, but he just smiled and raised his shoulders.

"Gimme some advice, you fool", she hissed fiercely at him, "I can't stand this girl's eyes"

"Than just do it", he whispered, smiling slyly, "It's not that bad, you know. You want me to pay?"

"No"

They both looked at the girl in front of them.

"Please?", the girl pleaded, with a pair dangerous puppy dog eyes.

Cagalli sighed. She had just lost from the girl's puppy dog eyes, and she decided to come in and had her fortune told.

"Okay then", she smiled unwillingly to the girl in front of her. Then she suddenly turned to Athrun, and silently hissed, "You're coming with me"

"Whatever", he said dispiritedly as she dragged him forcefully inside.

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Kira and Lacus were walking somewhere far from the fortune telling stall. They both had been exploring the fair with Kira's hand around Lacus' waist, walking together.

But suddenly Kira realized something.

"Lacus…", he asked her, turning his head around, "…where are Athrun and Cagalli?"

Lacus looked a bit startled at his question, and then she thought about it.

"Come to think of it…", she said, "…I think we have been separated since an hour ago…"

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Cagalli sat on the seat provided for her with Athrun sitting beside her, looking unusually calm, as if watching her fortune being told was an amusement for him.

The girl who wanted to do the fortune telling wasn't around at the moment; she's preparing something for a while.

Athrun smiled, and then held her hand, whispering, "Relax. It's just an ordinary fortune telling, you don't have to believe it"

"Well, it's not that, it's just…", she frowned, "…I don't really like it"

"Here you go, Miss", the girl appeared before them; she brought a set of tarot cards inside her hands, and then put it on the edge of the table, "Which kind of fortune telling you prefer, Miss?"

"I… Umm…", she was lost in her words, she didn't know what to say, so she glanced at Athrun, asking some advices from him.

Smirking, Athrun answered the girl in place of Cagalli, "Probably she wants the most expensive one?"

"The most expensive one?", the girl's eyes widened in surprise, "Well, that'll be crystal ball reading! Let's see…"

Meanwhile, Cagalli gave Athrun a deadly glare from her amber eyes for suggesting the most expensive fortune telling. But Athrun still looked unbelievably calm; her glare wasn't effective on him. He liked her deadly glare, though. And also her harsh behaviour. Heck, he liked everything about her.

"Umm… I see something inside the crystal ball…", the girl murmured, and then suddenly said clearly, "I see BLOOD!"

Cagalli gulped, while Athrun covered his mouth to prevent him from laughing.

_This jerk_, she thought, glaring deadly at Athrun, _how could he find it so funny?_

"Yes, I see blood…", the girl continued, "…blood stains… And now I see…, bullets!"

Cagalli set a horrified look on her face. Meanwhile, Athrun could barely hold his laugh, she could her his chuckling behind his palms.

"…Well, I see blood, bullets, as well as tears…", the girl kept on reading the crystal ball, "…that must be pai-", she proceeded to continue, but suddenly a voice from behind her stopped her.

"Cassie! Are you using the crystal ball?", a woman called the girl, and then suddenly appeared before them. She was older than the girl.

She looked surprised as she saw Cassie –the girl, was telling someone's fortune.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Cassie?", the woman began to scold her, "Don't tell fortunes to the costumers! You're still a trainee!"

"But Mom…", the young girl pouted, "…I can do better than before"

"Yes, you can do better than before, but still not enough", the woman looked to the two people who was sitting there jaw-dropped at the scene.

"I'm sorry, young man, young lady…", she apologized to them, "…my daughter's still a rookie… Never mind what she had said before, I'll continue the fortune telling for you…"

"No, you don't need to do it, Madam", Cagalli smiled, shaking her head, "I'm quite satisfied with her"

"Really?", the woman looked at Cagalli, and somehow, she recognized her face, "Oh my! Are you… Are you Chief Representative Athha from Orb?"

"Umm…", Cagalli was a bit hesitant to answer, she didn't really like somebody recognized her face, "…yes, it's true"

"Oh my goodness! I've just met Chief Representative Athha!", she said between her gasp, "Forgive me and my daughter for our rudeness, My lady…"

"Oh, well, never mind", she smiled; her hand reached her pocket to take her wallet, "How much is it?"

"Oh?", the woman shook her head, "No, you don't need to pay, my lady, it's free for you…"

"But…"

"It's okay", the woman insisted.

Cagalli sighed, and then continued, "Well, if you insisted, Madam", she smiled to them, "Thank you very much for the fortune telling", Cagalli got up from her chair, but then she unintentionally bumped into the desk, causing some of the tarot cards to fall down.

"Sorry", she said as she proceeded to collect the fallen cards, "I didn't mean to do that…"

Athrun, who had been sitting watching the whole scene, now got up from his chair too, and helped her collecting the cards while saying, "I'll help you"

"No, its okay, my lady", the lady went towards them to collect the cards, and she collected them so quickly that Cagalli and Athrun could only be able to collect one card each.

"Here you go", Cagalli returned one card to the woman. And she could see what was written on it.

_Ace of Chalice_

"One more, Madam", Athrun returned one card to the woman, and he could see what was written on it.

_Ace of Sword_

"We'll be leaving, Madam", she walked to the exit door, Athrun walked behind her, "Thanks for the fortune telling"

"Have a nice day", the woman shouted to them as they were leaving, and then she glanced at her daughter.

"Okay then, Cassie, have we collected all of the cards?"

The girl nodded, and then she continued, "Mom, the cards which had fallen are weird"

"They sure are a strange combination", the woman spurred, "Swords and Chalices… But I'm sure that they're meant to be…"

"Mom, are you listening to me?", the girl looked annoyed, "The cards which had fallen are weird, Mom"

"Yeah, I'm listening", the woman sat on a chair, "Tell me what are they, and explain it to me the reason you call them weird. This counts as your practise"

"Well… All of them are _major arcana_…"

(_major arcana:_ The trump cards of tarot cards)

"Just explain it to me, Cassie"

"Well, okay… The first card which had fallen is _The Empress_. I think this card suits Miss Athha, because before her father's death, she was known as the Princess of Orb, but after her father's death, she gained the representative position, which is quite similar to an empress, I think…"

"Yeah, you're right", the woman smiled slyly, "Continue with the second"

"And the second was… _The Justice_", the girl suddenly looked above, thinking hard, "…come to think of it, did you recognize the guy who was with her?"

"His face was quite familiar, but…", she said, "…no, I didn't. Why?"

"He is Patrick Zala's son! At the end of the first Bloody Valentine war, he was the legendary ace pilot who defect ZAFT and fought together with the Three-Ship-Alliance"

"Uh-huh"

"Oh, come on, Mom. At that time he was piloting a ZAFT mobile suit which had the code name JUSTICE"

"Gee…", the woman looked interested, "…quite interesting. Next?"

"Next is… Well, _The Lovers_"

"It's obvious then!", the woman clapped her hands, "I won't be surprised if they ended up getting married!", and then she gazed inside the crystal ball, and suddenly gasped.

"Cassie…", she asked her daughter, "…was it just my mistake or both you and I see blood, bullets and tears here inside the crystal ball…?"

"See?", the young girl raised her shoulders, "I've told 'ya"

"Bad luck I see then", the woman said to her, "I feel sorry for both of them"

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"AAARRGGHH!!! What are they thinking?", a furious blonde walking hastily, her foot stomped the ground as hard as she could do it.

"Calm down Cagalli, it's just a fortune telling", Athrun fasten his speed in order to keep up with her, "It wasn't one hundred percent correct"

"You!", Cagalli walked a bit further, and then she turned at him, pointing at him, and made a very angry expression, "How dare you burst out into laugh a few seconds after we left the stall?"

"I couldn't help it", Athrun smiled widely, "It seemed so funny for me to see your horrified face"

"Ah, you idiot!", she turned his back upon him, and then continued walking before him, "Fucking blood, bullets, tears…"

"Well, that's a relieve then…", Athrun slyly spoke.

"What kind of relieve, huh!?"

"Well, the girl saw no mobile suits, right?", he said, "That means that no war again"

"I don't care about that, I just fucking hate fortune telling… Geez, why must she said that my future is full of blood and bullets-"

"And tears", Athrun continued, and when he looked at her, he found that Cagalli was giving him a ragefull glare upon him. He managed himself to smile, and then walked a few steps forwards, saying, "Don't take it too much, Cagalli… The future is yours to decide, okay?"

"Yeah, I know that too, it's just I really really hate fortune telling"

"Well, it's over, just forget it", Athrun stood beside her, "By the way, have you seen Kira and Lacus somewhere?"

"Well, I haven't…", she answered uncertainly, "...I think we've been separated for more than an hour"

Cagalli stood there still, but Athrun promptly walked a few steps forwards so he could stand right beside her, and then he silently grabbed her hand, and then inserted his fingers in between hers.

She seemed startled at his sudden movement, but she suddenly calmed, and didn't bother it, and it seems that she's enjoying the feeling of his hand.

"Let's go", he said, smiling to her, "We'll find Kira and Lacus. It's getting late"

Cagalli nodded, and then she walked through the fair. She was looking at the environment around her, how the others seemed to move more hastily, and how the world seemed to spin faster when she's with him.

They both were lost in thought, each of them were preserving the moment into a bit of memory inside their mind. They knew time would flow rudely fast, without doubt about it. So they'll make use of their time very accurately, and they were doing it.

Athrun glanced at her, looking at her face, and then he doubted himself whether he was dreaming or not, but as he felt her warmth through his hand, he knew that he wasn't dreaming. It was a real moment, after two years of not seeing each other.

"Ah! Found them!", a familiar voice out broke from behind of them, causing their hands to be separated in surprise, followed by Cagalli's blushing face, "Athrun! Cagalli! Where have you been?"

Athrun turned to the direction the voice came was, so did Cagalli, and both of them found Kira and Lacus together holding hands, while Kira was waving his hand stupidly.

"The same question goes for you, Kira", Athrun looked a bit annoyed at his best friend, "Where have you been? I suppose the one who left us alone in an unfamiliar place after all was you, Kira"

"Ah, really?", Kira looked upwards, thinking.

"I'm sorry, Athrun, Cagalli", Lacus apologized to them, "But since we're together again now, shall we go home as soon as possible? I'm afraid it's getting late so…"

"I understand it", Cagalli spoke, "I want to go home too"

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It was near midnight, yet he wasn't really sleepy. He had got used to sleep late at night in order to finish his tasks, so he had to get himself used to holidays, the only time he could sleep earlier than usual.

After a few minutes of dozing of, he still didn't feel sleepy, so he decided to go downstairs to take some water.

He walked across the stairs silently, he thought that everyone had fallen asleep, and he wanted to wake nobody up, so he crept to the kitchen in order to fetch some water.

The rooms downstairs was dark, Lacus had her maids turned the lights off, he was sure of it. So he walked carefully in the darkness. Although he's a coordinator and he had better senses than naturals, he could barely see anything in the darkness. So he just walked according his instincts in order to find the switch-

"Ouch!"

He bumped into someone, and he felt that the person must be Cagalli. He wondered what she had been doing this late at night, alone in the darkness.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…", he quickly apologized, and then he backed of a few steps, trying to find the switch, and after he finally found it, he promptly pushed it so the lights would turned on.

As the lights turned on, he found her standing in front of him, rubbing her sore forehead which was caused by the bump, her other hand was holding an empty glass, and blinked her eyes a few times in order to get used to the sudden brightness.

"Well, are you okay?", he moved forward, looking worried, "I couldn't see you back then"

"Never mind, I'm okay", she smiled, "What are you doing here this late?"

"I'm going to take some water", he answered, "How about you?"

"Um, the same", she lied. Actually she went down to take some water, she needed them to take her medicines, but she didn't want Athrun to know about that.

"I see", he replied, and then he walked towards the tap, took a glass from the rack above, and then filled it with water, "I thought everybody have been sleeping at the moment"

"Me too, I didn't expect your coming here", she smiled, and then she walked towards him, "Can't sleep?"

"Maybe", he answered, drinking his water, "I've got used sleeping late once I'm at PLANT, so I can't sleep early…"

"Oh…", she replied, and then she proceeded to return to her room upstairs. Their room was on the second storey, and her room was located on the opposite of his.

"Well, I guess I'll be leaving", she declared, up the staircase.

"I'll be with you", he put the empty glass inside the sink, and then before he walked away from the kitchen, he turned the switch off first, and then he caught up to Cagalli.

"Where's your room?", she asked with Athrun walking beside her.

"The opposite of yours", he answered. They walked together, both were feeling lucky they met each other even late at night; they really enjoyed their time together. They both kept walking together in some kind of sweet silence until they realized that they had reached their destination.

"Well", Cagalli smiled, "I'm going to sleep now. You?"

"Maybe later", he answered, but he managed to hold her shoulders with both of his hands. She could sense his warmth from it, and her heart beat faster. She could felt more blood flew to her face, causing it to be blushed a little.

He held her shoulders, and as he dragged himself closer to her, he could gaze into her amber eyes clearly, and that short of gap had made his heart beat faster, but he ignored it, he just bent a little lower to her. The gap between their faces was getting closer, and suddenly, he pecked her on her cheek, causing her to blush more.

She felt his warm breathe upon her face when he bent forward to kiss her cheek, and the sensation was somehow tingled her senses, although she really missed it.

She blushed, and was too embarrassed to look at him with such red face, so she looked at her surroundings, avoided his eyes because it would make her blush more.

"Good night", he smiled to her, "See you tomorrow morning"

"Good night", she replied, entered her room, smiled at him again, and then closed the door.

* * *

**Author's note**: Thanks for reading my fic… Please review… And I hope you guys can give me some useful critics and advice… Well, flames accepted to I never cared much about them. I'm a rookie so I need more advices! Thank you very much… 

My! This chapter is a bit short and unimportant actually. However, as you see, Athrun and Cagalli ARE REALLY MEANT TO BE! Just the same as their predictions. But just wait and see... Next week is my favourite chapter ever! One of the sweetest moment in Promises! Well, actually, there would be 4 major sweetest moment here... And for your information, Promises is divided into three major parts... The first part is chapter 1-10 (I've finished all of them, they just need a few editing before they're ready to post), the second part is 11-18 (I've finished all of them too), and the third (last part) is chapter 19-end (chapter 20 is currently in progress).

And if you guys have any friendster account, just add me! My friendster e-mail is zangetsu underscore lovernii at kuririnmail dot com... And if you guys have Y!Messenger, add me too! My yahoo mail account is nii underscore blueberryfreak at yahoo dot com... I'm waiting for you guys!

Have you watch the new series of Naruto! Well, quite good! I love Kakashi... ;) and Sasuke ;)... But of course I love Athrun more ;) oh wait a minute... Do you guys know about Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK)? What do you think about them?

Once again, thanks for reading my fic. And I really-really apreciated your reviews.

Thanks to My Lord Jesus Christ who has sacrificed His life for me…

HAPPY EASTER!

God Bless you guys


	9. 忘れられない気もち

**DISCLAIMER : I do not own GS and GSD. You should've known that.**

**Actually, I've promised you guys to post this chapter on Sunday (8 April 2007) evening. But unfortunately, I got sick, so I delayed the posting... So sorry... Hontouni gomenasai datta yoo...**

**The song lyric inside this fic wasn't mine. The song belongs to Ricky Martin & Meja.**

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance , and also to my family and friends.**

* * *

_**Chapter Nine: Wasurerarenai Kimochi**_

A few days had passed since their first day of staying in Lacus' house. They didn't found it boring, Lacus knew a lot about interesting places in the Kingdom of Scandinavia, she brought them there although Kira was the one who drove them all the way.

This night, this very last night, everyone was busy preparing their stuffs and works. They'd be leaving to their workplace tomorrow morning. Lacus, Kira, and Athrun would be leaving to PLANT, while Cagalli alone would leave to Orb. But they won't leave together, Lacus and Kira would leave first, they took the same shuttle which would take them to Aprilius City. And then Cagalli would leave to Orb, which made Athrun the last person. His shuttle was different from Kira and Lacus'; it would take him straight to Sextilis City.

Cagalli sat in the bench at Lacus' garden. Her laptop was there too, and it seemed that she's attempted to do her work although she wasn't supposed to be working yet. She had known it, but she still did it, and when she logged in to her account, she found out that her secretary left nothing for her to be taken care of.

_Dammit_, she scowled, but then her expression turned serious again. She had decided to check her mails, and she found that her mails was increasing rapidly that it nearly reached the quota. Most of them are reports from Kisaka and Todaka. They reported every single thing that happened at Orb when she's not around, she glad they did it though. And another mails were from the other Emirs, they sent her many proposal regarding their projects, asking permissions from her. She tried to read them all as carefully as she could, and not to make the wrong decision.

So, there she was, sitting on the bench the whole hour, busy reading and re-check her subordinates' works.

Meanwhile, she didn't realize that Athrun was standing behind her, watching her. He smiled as he saw her murmuring something to herself, probably about her country's business. So, he decided to join her. He walked towards her, and then he sat beside her on the same bench, his laptop was with him too. He was going to finish his work.

"Hey, what are you doing here?", she asked him harshly, "Don't even think to take a peek into my work, it's Orb's top secret"

"Uh-huh", he answered her slyly, not quite looking, his fingers was touching some icons at the screen, "And don't bother to look at mine too, it's PLANT's top secret, Princess"

"And don't even try to call me 'princess', or else-"

"What?", he turned at her, smirking, "What will you do to me?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but she decided not to do it, and then faced her laptop again, "Geez, you're distracting me, I'm trying to concentrate on my work, so disturb me and you'll have to write your last will"

"As you wish", He smiled at her, and then he faced his laptop again. But he still couldn't help glancing at her. He glanced at her, and then he had found himself smiling for nothing again. Realized that he hadn't started working, he slapped his mind, and then started working.

He opened some documents, and then he started to type something on his keyboard. Athrun was a coordinator, so he's better in many aspects then naturals. And it was proven at that time. Athrun started to type something, and he did it very well, too well to be honest. He typed at his keyboard with such a frightening speed, even the other coordinators would find it very fast. It's not that he had many work to be done, he just wanted to spend more time with her so in order to do that he typed hastily.

Cagalli, who was concentrating on reading the proposal which was presented by her minister of education about the history subject in Orb concerning the Second Bloody Valentine War, was distracted by his typing. It's not her fault that she lacked concentration, no, she didn't lack of concentration, it was just his typing speed was so frightening that anybody who saw them would find it very distracting. He typed very furiously that she could hear the tapping voice of the keyboard annoyed her.

She tried to ignore the sound at first, but she couldn't stand it any longer. She looked at his direction, and when she saw his hands typing, she couldn't even catch the scene with her eyes. Not to mention the annoying tapping sounds.

"Uhh", she spurred to herself as quietly as she could so that Athrun wouldn't hear her, "Very frightening"

But Athrun was a coordinator, and a coordinator was supposed to have better senses than naturals. So he heard clearly what she had said before, and he just stopped typing, smiling, and then he promptly typed again, this time was twice faster than before.

Cagalli looked back to her laptop, and then she continued working again, trying not to be distracted by his typing noise. And they sat there, said nothing to each other, both totally focused on their work for almost two and a half hours, until Athrun finally decided to break the silence.

"Hey, Cagalli, the beach is close to this house, right?", he asked her. He had finished his work with nothing remained, he knew that, so he closed some programs on his laptop.

"Sure it is", she answered him with her usual tone, but not quite looking, she was still busy with her work, "This is Copenhagen, Athrun. Not PLANT"

"Yeah, I know that already", he replied, and then he sat closer to her, "How about going there after we've finished our work?"

She stopped typing, and then thought about it.

She had made a bit mistake. She was putting her trust on him, again. For the second time. She had sworn nobody but herself not to trust anyone again, but if it's him, she couldn't. She knew exactly that they were no meant to be, she's belonged to Orb, and he's belonged to PLANT. Political affairs and their responsibilities were going to separate them again. She knew that, so did he. But their feelings for each other were very strong that they couldn't even forget each other. The ignition of their love would never be perished, even though space and time were about to part them.

She knew it clearly already. Heck, she still wanted to be with him even though for just a short moment.

"Okay then", she answered, "I'll finish this in ten minutes, then we're leaving"

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She walked along the shore, while he trailed her from behind, watching her step by step. Suddenly, she stopped walking.

"What's wrong?", he stopped too, and raised his brow.

"Don't 'what's wrong' me, Athrun", she turned her head to him, "I'm not going to walk on the shore with shoes on"

"Oh", he walked closer to her, watching her taking off her shoes, and he did the same too.

"The shore here is beautiful", she said, walking through the shore, feeling her bare foot rinsed by the sea water. The water was a bit cold, it was no wonder, Copenhagen was located in the northern of Europe, and although summer was close, the air was still a bit chilly, very different from Orb, especially Onogoro.

"Yes", he replied, walking beside her, "But I think the air is a bit chilly"

"Don't ruin the good moment, you fool", she harshly spoke, "Who's the one who had brought me here? The answer is none other than you, so don't complain"

Athrun just smiled at her harsh reply, and his smile had calmed her a bit. It was amazing how he could do it; it seemed that he's the only person who could calmed her oblivious rage and harsh behaviour, not to mention that he's the only person who knew her so much, inside and outside.

Cagalli, who planned to argue him again, cancelled it as she felt something reached her bare hand.

He gently slipped his hand through her, pressed his fingers in between hers, and held it firmly while they were walking at the shore. He could see her blushing when he held her hand, and he knew that she tried to hide it from him. However, her efforts were useless; he could see that she's blushing very clearly. But he spoke nothing about it, he just pretended not knowing.

Suddenly, Cagalli separated her hand and his, walked a few steps forward, and then squatted down to see something.

"What is it, Cagalli?"

"Just a sea star", she answered, still observing the poor creature, and when she looked forward, she found out that he had stood before her.

"Let me see", he knelt down to join her observing the creature. He had never seen sea stars at the wildlife before, he lived in PLANT, and there were no sea at that place. He had ever seen sea stars though in some kind of Water Park. He did it together with Kira; it was their first school trip together.

"What? Don't tell me you've never seen one of these or that there are no such things like this at PLANT", she changed her position from squatting to kneeling, so both of them were kneeling, and facing each other, with their foot stained with wet sand.

"Hey, I've seen this creature once, okay?", he replied, a bit unhappy with her sentence before, "Although it wasn't in the wildlife"

He observed the sea star for a while, until that creature hid itself from both of them.

"Ah, it hid itself!", she roared in disappointment, leaving him smiling for himself. He lifted his head, and he had changed his vision. He saw her pointing at the sand, wanted the starfish to pop out from it and appeared before her again. He could see how her blonde hair was gently stroked by the sea breeze, and somehow, he found it very astonishing to him. He smiled at her childish behaviour, how she commanded the starfish to come out again as if the starfish could understand her language. She was the leader of Orb, yet she still had that childish behaviour, and he found it very amusing. He knew she showed that side of her to no one, not even Kira, which made him extremely happy that he would think he's the happiest guy alive.

"Hey, Athrun?", Cagalli called him, causing him to awake from his dozing off.

"Hmm? What?"

"You're dozing off", she gave him an annoyed look on her face, which he really missed. Strange, he liked everything about her, even the smallest thing from her.

He smiled at her, and slowly he dragged her to him, causing her to lose her balance, and in order not to fall down, she, like or dislike, had to lean on him for some support.

"Hey, what do you think you're do-", she hadn't even finished her protest when she suddenly felt something that startled her.

_**Every endless night has a dawning day**_

_**Every darkest sky has a shining ray**_

He gave her a very light and loving kiss on her fore head, causing her to blush. She was surprised to be kissed like that, but when she gained her stability again, she realized that the gap between their face was very close that they both could feel each other's breath.

_**And it shines on you, baby, can't you see**_

_**You are the only one, who can shine for me**_

He held both of her hands, and they could feel each other's warmth even though their surroundings were chilly. But suddenly, an enormous wave showered them both, resulting in total wetness for both of them. They broke apart from their current position, and Cagalli, suddenly stood, leaving Athrun who was still knelt.

"Oh my God!", she shouted, "The water's chilly!"

"Sure it is…", he murmured, "…and the breeze too"

"Thank Haumea I'm not freezing", she scowled, "This all thanks to you, Athrun"

"Hey, don't say that", he got up, and stood beside her, "I'm all wet too, for your information"

"Like I care", she answered him ignorantly, squeezing her shirts so it would excess some sea water from it.

_**It's a private emotion that fills you tonight**_

_**And a silence falls between us, as the shadows steal the light**_

He smiled, and then he promptly walked to her direction. And when she looked forward, she found out that he's standing before her, very closely. He quickly had his arms around her waist. He was about to kiss her lips, but not until he suddenly felt a pair of hands touched his chest, restrained him to continue his action.

_**And wherever you may find it, wherever it may lead**_

_**Let your private emotion come to me**_

"D-Don't do that", she said, hiding her face by avoiding his eyes, looking to other direction rather than him.

"Why?", he asked her, and ran his fingers through her hair. By hook or by crook, she could find his gentle touches were frightening her. She feared that she'd be used to his touches, and she would be hurt when he's not around. She feared that she'd miss his presence, and her self would be torn apart when he's no longer with her.

"J-just don't do it", she was nervous, so she avoided his emerald eyes.

"Today's our last day together"

"I knew that"

_**When your soul is tired, and your heart is weak**_

_**Do you think of love, as a one-way street?**_

"Then why?", he insisted, "Look at me, Cagalli. Look at my eyes". He moved his hands from her waist to her face, and with his hands cupped her face, she could do nothing but face him, staring at his deep emerald eyes.

"Because…", she answered him hesitantly, "…I just want us to move on. Just live our life separately."

"You know I can't", he whispered, "And so do you"

She couldn't argue him, he was definitely right. Neither he nor she could forget their love for each other. Their love was inextinguishable.

"We can't do this", she replied hesitantly, her heart throbbed with pain as she said these words, "We're not going to be like this forever. We have our duties. We have our responsibilities, and-"

_**Well, it runs both ways, open up your eyes**_

_**Can't you see me here, how can you deny?**_

He didn't wait for her to finish her words, he unexpectedly just pressed his lips firmly on hers, cutting off her excuses.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and unconsciously she responded to him, but when she had gained her stability, he had pulled away from her. He gave her a serious look, and his emerald eyes were shining in desperation. His hands still cupped her face, and he said, "You've just replied it. I can feel it"

_**Oh, it's a private emotion that fills you tonight**_

_**And the silence falls between us, as the shadows steal the light**_

"No!", she quickly opposed him, not admitting the truth that she replied his kiss before, but then she glanced at his eyes, and she knew, she couldn't lie to him, so she answered, "Y-yes… I'm sor-"

But he didn't bother hearing her again, he just kissed her again. He claimed her lips upon his, kissing her more fiercely and possessively. He had moved his hands from her cheeks to her waist, embraced her tight enough so that she wouldn't run away from him, but gently enough so that she felt incredibly comforted.

She cursed herself for being this pathetic. She knew that she loves him. She's the one who asked another girl to take care of him. She's the one who came up with the idea of broking up. She's the one who returned the ring. She's the one who had suggested moving on, heck, she's eating her words.

_**And wherever you may find it, wherever it may lead**_

_**Let your private emotion come to me**_

She was totally inadequate under his influence. She was futile, unable to move, as if she was the hostage. She thought of pushing him away since her hands were still on his chest, but she couldn't. In fact, she couldn't help her hands not to wrapped itself around his neck, and she could do nothing about her body leaned to him for gaining some support. It seemed that he's the absolute winner, and she's the total loser.

She could feel his warm breath upon her face, and by that, she knew that his breathe was short and fast. Although her breathing was short and fast too. He held her tighter than before, pressing her body onto his, enclosing the gap between them until it was barely visible.

As she felt his tongue gently coaxed her lips, asking permission to enter it, she thought of stopping the kiss, but she couldn't. She was caught in the heat of the moment, so she could do nothing but slowly gave him the permission. She hated herself for being this insane, yet she enjoyed the feeling very much.

He was exploring her sweetness, the feeling that he really missed. He couldn't think about anything at that time, all he wanted was her, and there's nothing in this world could change it.

Their tongues were entangled, both of them fought for dominance. He switched his head to another angle so he could deepen the kiss. After a few minutes, they broke the kiss, this time wasn't because they wanted to end it, they didn't want it to end, but they had to end it due to severe lack of oxygen.

They stared at each other, both of them panting, to fulfil their needs for oxygen, but he, all of the sudden, grabbed her possessively that she bumped into his well built body, and he hugged her tightly, never wished to let her go.

Finally, after she had gained some sanity, she encouraged herself to call his name, "Athrun…"

"Hm?"

"We'll be separated again. We don't even know when we will have this kind of chance again"

"I know that, Cagalli", he gently ran his fingers through her hair, inhaled her scent and feeling her presence.

An awkward silence occurred between them although they stayed in that position for a few minutes. Silvery moon rays enveloped them both, as well as the darkness of the night sky.

"Athrun, why are you so persistent?", she asked him with such a weak tone, which was full of sadness.

"Because I'm in the exact same situation as yours", he answered, hugging her more possessively yet lovingly, "That's why I want you to be with me if we're together, even if it's just for one minute or two, I don't mind, as long as I still can see you"

"Perhaps I'd marry another guy in the future, Athrun", she spoke unsteadily, "And you too. You should've known it very well, Athrun. We can't stay like this forever"

"That's why I want us to be together now", he declared, "Even though you couldn't be with me forever, but my feelings for you will never fade"

They didn't say anything; both of them feeling each others' warmth and presence, and no words were needed to explain how they needed each other.

"Don't say it", she demanded, "Please"

They stayed with that position for almost a long time, both sensing each others existence, and he suddenly felt a slight pain hammered him, he had longed for her warmth for years, yet he had to be prepared to lose it again. He could forget nothing about her, how she could easily made him smile, and how she fit perfectly into his arms when he embraced her.

He always wondered why they have to be separated.

"Athrun, I'm sorry, but I have to say this", she held him tighter, "When we're together, we'll hurt ourselves more. You must've known that the situation isn't as peace as it appears to be. If something happened to PLANT, you'll leave. And if I was forced to choose between Orb and you, I'd choose Orb"

"I knew that already", he replied, gently stroke her hair with his fingers, "That's the reason why you say Athrun Zala of ZAFT and Cagalli Yula Athha of Orb before. At the fair"

"That's why I want to end this", she continued, "Because being together means hurting each other"

Every word which was constructed from her mouth silently crept into his mind, crashing it gradually. He never wanted to let her go. There was a space in his heart which was belonged to her, not anyone else, and it was permanently hers.

He grabbed her shoulders, realizing how tiny they were, and he gazed straight to her amber eyes. He always liked the way her eyes shone, they were always full of life, vivid, honest, filled with wildness, but they were caring and gentle.

"I want to ask you something", he asked her, smiling bitterly. He lifted one of his hands, touched her cheek, and feeling the sensation of her skin. When he looked at her closely, he realized that she wasn't the most beautiful person he'd ever met, but she's extremely charming and graceful in her own way.

"Do you still have your feelings for me?"

She was startled at his sudden question. She planned not to answer this, because it would hurt her too. But finally, she could say nothing in evasion. She knew she'd never be able to run away from his inquiry. And she knew too that she could never hide the truth from him.

She gave him a simple nod as a reply for his question.

"I'm sorry", she said not quite looking at him. She feared that if she's looking at his eyes, she would be more hesitant to leave him. However, she recalled how she really missed them when he's not around, and how he could assure her just by smiling, or just by holding her hand.

"Don't say you're sorry", he said, gazing thoroughly at her, "Just give me some more time to be with you without thinking about our responsibilities and our duties"

"Until tomorrow, eh?", she replied, a bitter smile had been set up on her face.

He smiled, and then pecked her on her forehead. She blushed like mad, but then he grabbed her again, and force her to stay in his arms so she bumped into his masculine body ungracefully, still with face as red as tomatoes.

This time, she was just being Cagalli, a simple and plain Cagalli, not Cagalli Yula Athha of Orb.

And Athrun, he was just being Athrun, a simple and plain Athrun, not Athrun Zala of ZAFT.

The only time when they could really be themselves was when they're together.

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**Author's note**: The song inside this chapter was none of my properties. The song title is "Private Emotion", sung by Ricky Martin feat. Meja. Quite an old song actually . Warner Music's properties. Lyrics by Ricky Martin & Meja.

**THE SONG "PRIVATE EMOTION" IS NOT MINE**

Um.. Wasurerarenai Kimochi means Unforgettable Feelings.

Thanks to My Jesus. Praise the Lord!

God bless you guyz…


	10. さようならの場所へ

**DISCLAIMER : Hate to admit this, but, GS and GSD isn't mine. It's Fukuda's. And I don't really like him/her (dunno bout' his/her gender)**

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**As I promised you guys, this is the last chapter of the First Major Parts of Promises. And I would like to mention the name of my reviewers as a small reward for keep reading my very first long-shot. And this fic is stil loooooong waaaaay tooo goooo. No complain about the length please :) I've tried to keep it as short as possible by cutting some unnecessary scenes.**

**And about the late update, i'm terribly sorry, i'm visiting my hometown (i live in a countryside, heck, my hometown is the capital city XD) this weekend so i can't update at Saturday... So sorry... :(**

**Well, this is the reviewers:**

**1. gseedlover**

**2. HaroTaro**

**3. akidarchangelprincess**

**4. Genny-chan**

**5. lewerthy**

**6. V-ny-x (she's my schoolmate actually! Yo! Miss ya diz holiday, dude!)**

**7. otaku4lyfe**

**8. oh.bonita**

**9. kirAlacuS4ever**

**10. caga2007**

Thank you very much guys! I really appreciated your review(s)! Please keep reading and reviewing okay?

**THIS IS A SHORT AND SAD CHAPTER**

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_**Chapter Ten: Sayounara No Basho E**_

"So… We have to leave before you guys. We'll take the shuttle that will head directly to Aprilius"

"I knew that already", Athrun nodded, "Take care, Kira, Lacus. I'll leave half an hour later"

"See you at our wedding, Athrun, Cagalli", Lacus waved at them both, smiling gracefully.

"When will it be held?", Cagalli asked her.

"Maybe at summer, three months from now", Lacus answered.

"And where will you hold it?", Athrun asked.

"Aprilius, for sure", Kira answered as he walked side by side with Lacus, "It won't be a big celebration, though"

"I see", Cagalli waved at them, "Take care, Kira, and you too, my soon-to-be-sister-in-law"

Both of Kira and Lacus walked further, but when they nearly arrived at the departure gate, they turned at Athrun and Cagalli, smiled and waved at them. After that, they continued walking forward, and a few seconds later, they were already unseen.

"Well", Athrun sighed, "It's still fifteen minutes before your shuttle leaves to Orb"

She replied him by nodding hesitantly.

"When will your shuttle leaves, Athrun?"

"About fifteen minutes after yours", he answered. He realized that she's been avoiding him.

It's not like she's avoiding him, although it did seem like that. She's just afraid that she might not be able to leave his side if she gazed at him.

"Cagalli, I…", he said, but she promptly interrupted him.

"Don't say anything", she cut, "I've known it already. And I believe that you have too…"

He nodded bitterly. He knew it all. They were going to be separated again. Another eternity of not seeing each other would occur between them for the second time. Both he and she had to accept it, like or dislike. So he just stood there, watching her checking the security locks at her luggage.

She checked her luggage carefully, but no matter how focused she was at her current activity, she still could feel his staring at her. It didn't make her feel uncomfortable though, she didn't mind he stared at her. He could stare at her as much as he wished. But his staring sure had made her so hesitant to return to Orb.

If she were given a chance to do anything she wanted at that time, she would blissfully tear her ticket into pieces, throw her luggage away, and run into his warm embrace, saying nothing but feeling his soothing presence upon her, and stay beside him until death parted them.

But it was impossible. And she couldn't do it either. So she just stood there, feeling his staring upon her back, and inhaled deeply in order to take care of the mess that had occurred inside her head.

"Well, it's about time", she turned at him, saying, "I have to go now"

"Cagalli"

"Hmm?", she replied in confusion, "What-", but when she was going to enquire him about what he was going to say to her, he suddenly grabbed her shoulders with his hands, and he shared a chaste kiss with her in a surprise.

She was very startled, her amber eyes widened as she felt his lips upon hers, which gave her a light and chaste kiss. Both of them broke apart quickly after the sudden kiss, and he had found himself staring at her face.

"Athrun?", she asked at him, but he answered nothing as a reply for her question. He just kept staring at her. He tried to remember every details of her before the time to be parted again came. He tried to remember even the slightest detail of her, how she blinked her eyelids, how she gave him a confuse look on her face, and how she gaped at him, just the way she did everything.

He ignored her calling his name. He knew that he didn't need to answer it verbally. So he just dragged her closer to him, and he had his hands cupped her face. He enclosed the gap between his face and hers, and when the gap had disappeared, he placed his lips on hers, once again.

He kissed her, and this time, he forced his brain to memorize all what was happening at that time.

Her eyes widened again. She didn't expect Athrun to kiss her for the second time, and she was afraid of the probability of getting caught. Maybe some reporter would take their pictures while they were kissing, and they published to the whole world, putting it on the headline. She wanted to count that as the reason for her to stop the kiss.

She tried to push him so he would stop, but she couldn't. Because she knew that even though she wanted to push him away and slap him as hard as she could on his gorgeous face, her body would just betray her commands, especially her lips, which Athrun had claimed upon. So, she had decided to follow her instincts, she could care less to what would happen next. Those maniac reporters included.

A few milliseconds had elapsed, and she had had her widened eyes closed slowly. She could feel her cheeks warmed and her heart beat faster and harder that she thought that he would hear it clearly. But she didn't care about that again.

_**She's always on my mind,**_

_**From the time I wake up 'till I close my eyes, she's everywhere I go**_

_**She's all I know**_

He still had his lips upon hers, and he could feel the warmth of hers flew into his body. He knew that she was responding to his kiss, and for that reason, he felt that a sudden temptation to deepen the kiss had occurred from inside his self.

She could feel his breath were shorter than before, as well as hers, and he pressed his lips more firmly onto hers. She was about to give up, she couldn't break apart from it, not until-

"_Good afternoon. Attention please. The shuttle with the flight number GA-2163 destination Onogoro Island will leave in five minutes. All passengers…"_

The announcement before slapped her mind, and she quickly pushed him hard so he would stop kissing her. And he reluctantly broke the kiss.

_**Though she's so far away**_

_**It's just keeps getting stronger every day**_

"I really have to go now", she said as the announcement continued and repeated itself. She collected her luggage, and then walked away through the departure gate, leaving him in despair.

She didn't say anything to him. She just turned her back to him and walked away.

Even though no words were spoken at that time, they both had known it well enough already. Athrun didn't say anything to stop her; he wanted to, but he wouldn't, and he couldn't. He could just at least say that he'll be with her or else, but saying that would make him betrayed her once more, and hurt her. He had promised her once, heck, both he and Cagalli broke the promise perfectly.

The situation was neither he wanted to promise her again, nor did she want to believe in him once again.

_**And even now she's gone**_

_**I'm still holding on**_

She walked a single step, and then she suddenly lost in her thoughts. She couldn't find the right words to say to him. 'See you later' or 'see you soon' would be very irrational and unrealistic, they didn't even know when they would meet each other for the next time, and they knew the chances are so small; maybe they were smaller than a hole in a needle. 'Goodbye' and 'farewell' would sound so sad to both of them. Although they knew that they weren't meant to be, deep inside their broken hearts, both of them still wished that they would meet each other again, even though it would take months, years, or decades.

So, she left him without saying anything.

_**So tell me where do I start **_

_**'cause it's breaking my heart**_

_**Don't wanna let her go**_

Cagalli Yula Athha, the politician who was well known for her ideals as well as sharp arguments, now was speechless. She couldn't find the correct words to say to a single guy named Athrun Zala. She was famous for her ability to speak her mind bravely in front of many politicians, yet she was unable to face a certain person.

_Coward_, she thought, her fists clenched, _I am such a coward._

_**Maybe my love will come back some day**_

_**Only heaven knows**_

He just stared at her, watching her back gradually disappear. Even at this time, he still managed his mind to remember every slightest details of her. The way she touched him, the way she blushed at him, the way she responded to his kiss, even the way she turned her back at him and walked away, he carved it painstakingly into his mind.

_**And maybe our hearts will find their way**_

_**Only heaven knows**_

His feelings for her were crashing him, causing pain from inside his heart. The airport was crowded and noisy for sure at that time, but to him, it was a complete silence.

_**And all I can do is hope and pray**_

_**'cause heaven knows**_

When she was nowhere on his sight anymore, he knew it was his time to leave. So, he left that place with a blank mind and an aching heart.

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She sat on her seat, sighing so hard that it startled the person who was sitting next to her. She didn't care about it. She just wanted to give herself a good rest. It took five hours straight before she would arrive to Onogoro, perhaps she would just sleep until the shuttle arrived there.

But she couldn't sleep, not with that chaotic mind of hers.

All she could think inside his head were only three subjects, Athrun, Athrun, and Athrun. No other subjects.

She realized something.

The chances that she might forget him was the same with the chances that a horn would grow up from a rabbits head in spite of it's' ears.

Easily spoke, it was nearly impossible.

She remembered every single moments that happened when she was beside him. When he called her 'princess', when he held her hand, the way he embraced her, and the way he kissed her.

If she tried to recall hard enough, she could even remember the sensation she felt on her lips when he kissed her. And when she did it, she unconsciously touched her lips with her index finger.

_I'm a liar_; she thought deeply to herself, _I'm a big liar. Not to mention a coward_.

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**Author's note**: OMG! This is the shortest chapter I've ever write! Tee hee, just enjoy . The song at this chapter was titled 'Heaven Knows', sung by Rick Price, and this is none of my properties. Warner Music's properties. Although this is quite an old song, I like it very much, so desperate -- 

Sayounara No Basho E : dunno the exact translation, but if you want me to convert the title into English, it would be 'to the place when we will be parted' (Indonesian translation: Menuju Perpisahan, geez sound so bad! My Indonesian Literature scores are... Uurrghhh those teacher are trying to kill me for sure. It's amazing how most students at my school like English more than Indonesian, whereas Indonesian is our mother language. I prefer English too, honestly.)

Special thanks to My Saviour Jesus Christ… Thanks for everything! I LUV U, GOD!

I like Jay Chou------------- :)

God bless you guyz…


	11. 君のことしか覚えない

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

**Another warning, no major romance in this chapter, i'm so sorry for that. But this fic is still a romace fic though :3

* * *

**

_**Chapter Eleven: **__**Kimi No Koto Shika Oboenai**_

Time always goes by. Some people found it so fast, yet some other found it so slow. But there were a certain kind of people who couldn't decide whether time's going fast or slow.

And she's one of those people.

She sat in her office, doing her work as always. To her, days are always the same, weekends included. She worked at weekend sometimes. Work, work, and work. No summer holidays, winter holidays, spring holidays, autumn holidays, or whatsoever. She didn't mind, though. She liked working, or doing something for the benefits of her country to be precise.

But working could sometimes be tiresome.

She typed something hastily on the keyboard, mumbling unclear phrases from her mouth, probably just to herself. But then she stopped, and then she stretched her limbs. While she was doing it, she glanced at the small calendar on her desk.

_April the 16__th_, she thought, and then she sat again on her chair_, it's been a three weeks since our last reunion at Copenhagen…_

She snapped the thoughts out of her mind, and then forced it to be focused on her work. She continued typing as hastily as before, not until a new mail arrived into her account.

"Huh?", she said.

She read the mail carefully. It was a mail from Lacus which concerning Clyne Faction. She smiled, and then replied the mail.

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Everyone who worked at the PLANT High Council building could realize that Athrun Zala, the vice chairman of the Supreme Council, was interested in nothing but his work. Although that was a good work attitude, but this annoyed Yzak Joule, the chairman of the National Defence Committee. Because Athrun had no interest in the reshuffle at PLANT, unlike Yzak.

Suddenly, the phone on his desk rang, and he promptly picked it up.

"Chairman Zala here", he said.

"Chairman Zala, a meeting with the whole council member will be held in Aprilius city two days from now", his secretary said to him from the other line.

He sighed; he knew the meeting would be held regarding the new cabinet order in PLANT.

"Fine, I'll be there", he replied, "Please arrange me a shuttle to Aprilius", and then put the line off.

He tried to concentrate on his work again, and a moment later, his fingers were already dancing on the keyboard, typing with a frightening speed.

It's been three weeks since their last meeting, and it appeared like nothing had happened. He worked as hard as usual, but sometimes, he dozed off. Yzak and Dearka had caught him dozing off twice, and dozing off wasn't quite of his hobby.

What he had been imagining while he was dozing off, nobody knew about that, except two certain people, whose name were none other than Dearka Elthman and Yzak Joule.

How Dearka could know about their relationship?

When Athrun defect ZAFT military four years ago, Dearka was in Archangel; he was in custody. And he didn't expect Athrun to defect ZAFT, so he was a bit surprised when he met Athrun at Orb. What he didn't expect more was the fact that Athrun, at that time, was dating the princess of Orb, Cagalli Yula Athha. He couldn't believe his eyes when he accidentally saw them kissing, after the final battle at Jachin Due, when Archangel was in its way returning to Orb. He asked Miriallia about their relationship, and she said so. And he, once again, didn't expect Athrun to stay at Orb using an alias.

And how could Yzak, who had neither connections with the crew of Archangels nor close relationship with Athrun, know what happened between Orb's Representative and his so-called-rival-named-Athrun-Zala?

_---__-Flashback----_

_Yzak was sitting behind his desk, while beside him was Dearka, his subordinate. Dearka saw an untouched newspaper lied on Yzak's desk. _

_He could tell that Yzak's busy writing some reports using his personal computer, so he saw no problem if he took the newspaper and read it. Thinking so, he took the newspaper and read it. And when he started reading the headline, he couldn't help himself but to blurt out, saying, "Aww, man, poor Athrun and his girl, surely political weddings are-"_

"_WHAT?", Yzak cut him off in terrible curiosity, "Did you just say, 'Athrun and his girl'? Who is that girl? That Clyne singer?"_

"_Oops", Dearka covered his mouth with his left hand while his right hand was hiding the newspaper behind his back, "No, it's nothing in particu-"_

"_Gimme that newspaper", he tried to take the newspaper from Dearka by force, but Dearka managed to evade him easily._

_Yzak didn't give up easily, so he threatened Dearka, "Give me that goddamn newspaper, Elthman, or else I'll cut your payments". And when Yzak said that, Dearka reluctantly handed him the newspaper, mumbling some curses from his mouth._

"_What kind of bullshit was that?", Yzak read the whole news hastily, "I see no Zala here"_

"_Well, headline, Yzak", Dearka replied, "H-E-A-D-L-I-N-E"_

"_Stop pretending, stupid, I still see no Zala here!", Yzak screamed, "This is just the stupid goddamn failed marriage of the Orb's representative"_

"_I never said that Athrun was in the headline, Yzak", Dearka shook his head; his silver haired fellow was always impatient. Working with Yzak surely had numbed his ears in many various ways._

"_Then WHAT?", he slammed the newspaper to his desk, "I see no connection between Zala and this girl"_

"_Then just forget it", Dearka tried to avoid it, but Yzak threatened him again, saying, "Your payments"_

_Dearka sighed, and then he replied, "Okay, okay, I'll tell you"_

_He took a deep breath, but Yzak had gone mad already._

"_HURRY!"_

"_Yes, yes", he answered, "Remember when I defect ZAFT along with Athrun?"_

"_Yeah, I know, and why don't you just straight to the point!!?", Yzak tapped his fingers on his desk, impatiently waiting for Dearka's further answer._

"_I'm doing so, Yzak", he continued, "After the self destruction of the Orb's mass driver, Archangel, Orb's space battleship Kusanagi, and ZAFT's space battleship Eternal formed the Three Ship Alliance-"_

"_STRAIGHT TO THE POINT!"_

"_Yeah. I'll tell you. Representative Athha is Athrun Zala's ex-girlfriend. Satisfied?"_

_A few seconds of silence occurred between them._

_The military base was a bit quiet, it's night there, and only a few workers were working at that time. The nuance was really calm and peaceful, but not until-_

"_NOOOO WAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

_Dearka had known Yzak for quite a long time, so he was prepared to anticipate Yzak's shouting. He had covered his ears with his hands, it was a bit help so his ears wouldn't face serious damage. He wondered if being a coordinator would make Yzak could easily damaged other's ears with his shouting._

"_It's true, Yzak", Dearka said, his hands still covered his ear, "I've seen it with my very own eyes"_

_---end of flashback---_

And that's the whole story. Thanks to Dearka, now it's not only him who knew the fact between Athrun and Orb's Chief Representative. Yzak knew that too.

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"My… My…", Lacus mumbled while she was reading something at her personal computer. It was seven o'clock in the morning at Aprilius. She sat on the table, her breakfast beside her laptop. It was unusual for her to have breakfast while doing her work. It seemed that that morning was an exception. Her azure eyes looked worried, and her right hand touching the screen continuously, and also, hastily.

Kira stayed at Lacus' mansion the night before, they slept late discussing some important affairs regarding Clyne Faction. Being a nice guy, Kira didn't do anything to Lacus, not before their marriage. They even slept on separate bedrooms. Although some people found it very conservative, he didn't, and so did Lacus. Even Cagalli wondered why. They looked really perfect, they rarely argued and they even could understand each other by just looking.

"What's up, Lacus?", Kira, walked downstairs while buttoning his commander suit, "Something's up?"

Lacus promptly got up from her seat and then greeted Kira good morning, and Kira replied her by giving a peck on her lips.

"Sleep well?", she asked him, while he slid a chair beside her out so he could sit next to her.

"For sure", he replied, and then he saw Lacus clicked something on her laptop, "It's so unlike you to get mixed up between work and breakfasts", he asked her.

"Well, this time is an exception", she smiled to him, and then continued, "We've got quite a big problem here"

"What is it?", Kira asked, while one of Lacus' servants asked him whether he wanted a cup of tea or coffee, and he answered that he wanted a cup of tea, Kira was never fond of coffee, he would only drink it at certain times when he's sleepy but wanted to finish something off. He often drank it when he's at Archangel, but when the war had ended, he switched back to tea. He was never enjoyed drinking coffee so much.

"As you know, Clyne Faction now has growing number for it's' member. Most of them are from ZAFT, although the number of OMNI soldiers who enlisted is growing too. Surprisingly, a few high ranked soldiers from OMNI joined us"

"That's good news then, since they're natural, and they were never fond of joining a force that was made by coordinators", Kira replied, adding some cream to his tea. He enjoyed tea with cream, no sugar. Some people thought of it as a strange preference, because normal people enjoyed tea with sugar only or tea with cream and sugar. But Kira liked it with cream only.

"I know that, and I'm thankful about this. We have members from high ranked OMNI enforcer, so we can get some news of what happening at EA", Lacus replied, still had her attention focused on her laptop.

Kira nodded. Everyone knew that after the second bloody valentine war, the universe was in a pathetic state. PLANT had lost two colonies, Januarius and December, EA nations, especially German region, were a total mess, while Orb was quite damaged but wasn't as terrible as PLANT and other EA nations. A month after diplomatic efforts had been made; there were no wars, but another problem occurred, mostly economical and health problems. Although PLANT had had two of its colonies destroyed, they recovered quickly, perhaps because they didn't suffer from health problems, thanks to coordinators' ability; only economical ones. A little inflation occurred, but it didn't really affect the stability of PLANT. Orb's situation was a bit more difficult, but they could get it over in a few months though. Being the Orb's Chief Representative, Cagalli had proved the world that she was no ordinary princess; she worked as diligently as she could so Orb could gain it's stability, strength, and not to forget, prosperity.

But Earth Alliance nations were different; they were suffering from economical and health problems. Their region was enormous, and it's not that easy to handle the situation. Most regions and military base were heavily damaged. Plague occurred in a few regions, but inflations were terrible, although it's better now, it's still terrible.

"The problem is-", Lacus touched an icon at her touch-screen laptop, "-this"

A picture of some high ranked soldiers and politicians of Earth Alliance popped out at her screen. In the middle of it, a woman stood, and from the formation, everybody could tell that she's the one who was in the centre of attention.

"Huh? The newly elected Secretary General of Earth Alliance?", Kira commented curiously while spreading some butter on his toast.

"Well, she's Maria Josefa Ivanovski", Lacus continued.

"Surely, this universe is being ruled by women", he commented again, now spreading a lot of apricot jam on his toast, he liked apricot jam very much, "First Cagalli, you, and then Chairwoman Eileen Canaver"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Kira", she smiled at him, and then she continued, "And luckily we have some Faction members that are from OMNI enforcer, we could gather some information from them"

"Good. What kind of information you can gather?", Kira asked her, and he was about to stuff the toast into his mouth, until-

"The rise of Blue Cosmos"

Kira, who had his mouth opened, and was ready to eat his toast, froze for a couple of seconds, and when he got rid of his being startled, he put the toast on his plate again, and then asked Lacus, "How come?"

"We thought that all Blue Cosmos' members had died at the end of the second war, but we're wrong", she sipped her tea, and then continued, "Apparently, there were still two people survived, and during these two years, they've been gathering some new members, forming the new Blue Cosmos. She seems to be a member of it too, although we're still not sure about the fact yet"

"But…", he stopped a while to choose the right words, "Lacus, if I'm not mistaken, all Earth Alliance nations are in bad shape, not to mention the inflations… They're not planning to attack, are they?"

"Hmm…", Lacus tapped her fingers on the table, "…That's what I want to know. I've arranged a meeting three weeks later at Aprilius. It will be held the day before our wedding celebration, so nobody would realize this meeting"

"I see", Kira took his toast again, and then stuffed it to his mouth, chewing it, "I hope nothing bad would happen"

"I hope so", Lacus shut her laptop down, and then she took a piece of toast, spreading butter on it until she realized something.

"Kira?", she called, taking some more butter.

"Hmm?", he answered, and then swallow the chewed toast into his throat.

"Should I change the faction's name after we get married?"

Kira chuckled, and then answered her, "It's up to you, but, I don't think it's a good idea. I suppose our members would find it very awkward"

"So, it's fine with you then if I don't change the name", Lacus smiled, drizzling a few drops of honey on her toast, "But I think Lacus Yamato wouldn't sound so bad after all"

Both of them smiled at each other, and then they laughed a little.

Everyone who saw them would think that it was a very sweet way to start a day. As expected from Kira and Lacus.

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He never thought that things would turn out like that ever since his first meeting with her at the deserted island. For him, life was full of unexpected things.

Typing furiously on his keyboard, he could feel that his coordinator brain was split into two major parts. The first one concentrating on his works and the second one musing about his life.

Life was full of unexpected things.

When he landed on a deserted island, he never expected that there would be another person there, doing the same emergency landing. When the two of them were fighting each other, they never expected to learn each other's name. When he learned her name, he never expected that she was the Princess of Orb. When he had acknowledged that she was the Princess of Orb, he never expected that he would meet her for the second time. And when he had met her for the second time, he never expected that he would make her his most precious person.

And when he had fallen deeply for her, he decided to stay by her side, protecting her, even though he could only do it as her bodyguard. And when the second war began, he knew that as a bodyguard, he was powerless, yet he wanted to stop the war. He had decided to re-enlist to ZAFT, knowing that if he did it, he could gain more power, and do something about the war.

With all that things, more unexpected things happened. Although he knew that he was attached to her that much, he never expected that he had enough courage to fingered that ruby ring into the ring finger of her left arm, in other words, he never expected that he had enough courage to propose her. When he left Orb and re-enlist to ZAFT, he never expected her to betray him by marrying that Seiran-monkey. After she had betrayed him, he was terribly mad at her, and didn't even bother to understand her situation. And as he was assigned at Minerva, he never expected that Chairman Dullindal was just manipulating him in order to fulfil the Destiny Plan. Realizing that, he tried to escape from PLANT, and when he did it, he never expected that a certain officer named Meyrin Hawke helped him to do so. When the two of them was being terminated by Shinn, he never expected that he would be alive. And when he got to know Meyrin better, he never expected that she liked him. And after learned that fact, he never expected Cagalli to ask Meyrin to take care of him.

However, there were a lot of expected things too. He had expected to meet her when he finally was able to make it to Archangel, however, even though he had known that, he still couldn't find the proper words to say to her. When Archangel was about to go to the space, he had expected that she would remove the ring from her finger. And when he was about to return to PLANT after the second war, he had expected her to return the ring.

Strange, even though he had expected those things to happen, he still couldn't do anything about it, he didn't even try to prevent them. He had submitted to his fate. He was a ZAFT and Orb Military's ace pilot, he was full of bravery, heck, and he didn't even have even just a small amount of courage to go against his fate.

It was useless to cry over spilt milk. But he couldn't help himself out for not being able to get out from his past. Their moments together were too bitter to be recalled, yet too sweet to be forgotten.

And after their parting at the airport, he knew that it was already too late to start everything again. He knew exactly how she felt at that time, and why she kept avoiding him.

Even though she said nothing about it, he knew that she was unwilling to place her trust upon him again. The true reason why they couldn't be together again wasn't really caused by their responsibilities. If it was, Athrun would dare to quit his job and move to Orb just to be with her.

Actually, she was just using responsibilities as some shield to cover her true reasons. He knew that by looking into her eyes.

He knew clearly that she still had her feelings for him, and he knew also that she didn't want to trust him again. She feared that if she gave her heart to him once again, she would be hurt by him, or the situation forced him to hurt her again. She didn't want it to happen again, she had endured enough pain that it had gradually changed her self.

And also, he feared that if he returned to her side, he would betray and hurt her again. Seeing her changing that much had caused intangible painful feelings inside his heart. His heart was aching as he saw her suffering from her burdens and responsibilities. He knew that he had contributed some parts of her sufferings. He felt so guilty that he didn't have the courage to plead her apology.

That was why he really understood her reason to avoid him. However, both of them was still longing for each other, even though they were scared of hurting each other again.

He realized that she was denying her feelings back then, hence, he had no choice but to deny his feelings too.

He knew that his decision had caused more pain inside his heart. Little he did know that her decision was also causing pain inside her heart.

* * *

**Author's note**: Thanks for reading my fic… And I hope you guys can give me some useful critics and advice… Well, flames accepted to I never cared much about them. I'm a rookie so I need more advices! Thank you very much…

Praise the Lord for His continuous uncountable blessings!


	12. 時間がかかった

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.

* * *

**

_**Chapter Twelve: Jikan Ga Kakatta**_

"Gosh, this is ridiculous", she massaged her forehead in annoyance, "What the fuck are they thinking right now?"

"I suggest you not to use the F word, Cagalli-sama", a tall tanned man who stood behind her easily spoke, "If your people-"

"I know, I know already, Kisaka", she interrupted him, "But surely, what are they thinking about? The Earth Alliance's people… Are they going to ignite a war once every two years?"

"If I may spoke, Cagalli-sama", another man who stood behind her joined the conversation, "We mustn't conclude about that easily"

"The woman who was elected as the Secretary General, aaah, I forgot her name already-"

"Miss Maria Josefa Ivanovski, Cagalli-sama"

"Ah, yes, Miss Maria whatever, thanks Amagi", she continued, "She's arousing my suspicion"

"In my opinion…", Kisaka said, "…there's no way they will win. As we know, almost 75 percent of Earth Alliance nations are in pathetic state, especially Atlantic Federation, also, inflation is quite high, they wouldn't be able to buy or produce military equipments, and also, it's quite impossible to conquer Orb's military power with their current ability. I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't do any direct attack to us"

"You're right", she replied, "What do you think about this, Amagi?"

"According to my opinion…", the other man who stood behind her promptly answered her, "…we mustn't react recklessly. The chairwoman didn't ask Orb directly, although we can conclude from her words that Orb, as an earth nation, should be joining the Earth Alliance, she didn't ask us directly, nor requested a reply from us"

"You're right", Cagalli replied, now tapping her pen on her office desk, "Actually, their military power is on its weakest now, so even though they would attack us directly, we won't lose for sure"

"But I think it would be a bit difficult if they would go all out on us", Amagi said, "If they gather all OMNI enforcer members from around the world, they would make an enormous number of troops. And I'm afraid if that's what we really lacked of, great number of troops. We've developed a lot of hi-tech mobile suits and mobile armours, so if we went all out on them, I suppose there would be no problems"

"I hope so", she spun her sign pen, thinking for another option, and then after a few seconds, she continued, "How's the preparation of the new military arrangement?"

"It's almost complete, Cagalli-sama", Amagi answered, "It'll be finished in two days time"

"I see", she nodded, "About the Earth Alliance thing… I'll handle it"

She promptly dialled a series of numbers on her office phone, and then told her secretary to arrange her meeting with the emirs regarding this matter.

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Aprilius city sure was a crowded city, and the rush hour there was a bit terrible, but, with the arrival of many important people from every corner of PLANT to Aprilius, it had became more and more terrible. Roadblocks were everywhere, and security was tighter than before.

And the PLANT Council Building would never seem as busy as that time. No wonder, this was PLANT's big moment, the inauguration ceremony of PLANT's Council Member for period C.E. 75 until C.E. 76.

The new cabinet arrangement was quite similar with the one before with a few minor changes. The Supreme Council Chairman was still Eileen Canaver (with more than 70 vote amongst another three candidates).

Meanwhile, inside PLANT Council Building, a guy appeared to be extremely pleased. The cause was unknown, probably because he's meeting his old fellow.

"Yo, Athrun!"

"Ah, Kira", he rushed to Kira's direction, "How's your day?"

"Fine, for sure", Kira replied, and then gave him a light pat on his shoulder, "You seldom visit here"

"Aprilius is a bit overpopulated, you know", Athrun answered, grinning, "You know I don't like traffic jams"

"You never changed, Athrun. But is it just my feeling or you look extremely happy right now? As far as my knowledge knows, you're not the vice chairman again, and you have no authority again in supreme council…"

"Oh yeah?", he replied, but still grinning, "Well, it's a bit shocking, but, it's not that bad, you know"

"Oh really? Then tell me the reason why you've been smiling for the whole day, Athrun", Kira glared naughtily at him, wanted to know more things.

"Hmm… No particular reasons actually, Kira", he still managed himself to hide the truth, "Maybe it's because I meet you in such a place like this"

"No, don't tell me you didn't expect me to be here, Athrun, you know clearly that we will meet each other here since you must've known about my new position here"

So, the reason wasn't caused by his meeting his old fellow.

"Um… Yeah, that sort of thing", he still smiled, and then walked faster, so Kira had to fasten his speed in order to catch up with him.

"Oh, Athrun, just tell it to me, okay?", Kira groaned.

"Well, the time will come for you to know, Kira", Athrun smirked, and then walked again.

"Tell me, Athrun", Kira walked a few steps in front of him, and then blocked his way, "Otherwise-", Kira took a piece of paper from his white commander suit pocket, actually it was a picture, "-I'll publish this"

Athrun stared curiously at so-called-best-friend, and then he promptly received the picture from Kira. The moment he saw it, his face suddenly changed, and he had his jaw dropped seeing that picture. His face went pale when he recognized the two people on the picture.

"KIRA!!! HOW DARE YOU-"

Kira, pretend to be innocent, he asked Athrun, "Oh, so you do know the two people on the picture very well, Athrun. Can you tell me who they are?"

"Don't pretend to be stupid, Kira!", when Athrun shouted this sentence, his face, which was a bit pale a second ago, now turned redder and redder that now it resembled a tomato. Or apple, maybe.

The picture had certainly been taken in the airport, everybody could tell it from the surroundings. And the airport was at the Kingdom of Scandinavia, there were a lot of signs written in Svenska. Inside the picture were two people, a certain blue-haired-guy and a woman who were kissing.

Easily spoke, it was Athrun and Cagalli.

Athrun was never this embarrassed in his whole life.

"Did you take this picture, Kira?", he asked Kira with deadly glare on his emerald eyes.

"No, it wasn't me. You know, we, I mean me and Lacus, should have left before you guys, but unfortunately it was delayed for twenty minutes, so we sat in the waiting lounge, and from there, I could still gaze you guys from afar"

"Really? I didn't realize it-"

"Yeah, you wouldn't realize it; you guys were having such a good time back then. Ah, and then I realize that a certain person had been eyeing you guys for the past ten minutes, and he brought a camera. He was the one who took your pictures. And when you're not looking, I stole his camera. I'm pretty sure he was about to think some good sentences to be put on the headline, just like 'The Secret Relationship Between PLANT's Supreme Council's vice chairman and The Chief Representative of Orb' or something like that, and when it happened, it would ruin Cagalli's reputation, so I just keep the camera and the data save from anybody…"

Athrun shook his head in disbelief, he was sure that this was the most ridiculous and embarrassing moment in his whole life.

"But it was quite useful, though", Kira smirked, and when he found out that Athrun was ready to tear the picture apart, he quickly said, "And you can tear it into pieces, I still have the data, you know…"

"Alright! I'll tell you!", Athrun exclaimed.

"Good boy", Kira grinned.

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Clad in her usual emir suit, she sat on her chair, a piece of paper inside her hands, and staring blankly at it. But then she gazed at the mirror before her, and she realized something.

_Is it because I'm turning twenty this year_, she thought, looking at her reflection on the mirror, _or it is because I've changed?_

She's wearing her usual emir for sure, but it wasn't the same suit she had worn as the one she used to wear when she's eighteen. She used to wear trousers instead of skirts, but now, she was wearing a knee length skirt to match her plum-coloured-suit.

The press conference would be started in fifteen minutes, so she waited in the waiting room with some people accompanying her. She had one of her bodyguards inside the room (while the others were outside, in front of the door to be exact), and also her secretary.

She had spent half an hour practising her speech, but somehow, she couldn't let her mind went everywhere else.

_---Flashback---_

"_Be ready in five minutes!"_

_She sighed. The speech draft on her hands was already ruffled, she had been practised with it for so long, yet she still felt very nervous._

"_Calm down, Cagalli", a warm and gentle voice was heard from beside her._

"_Calm down your ass, Athrun", she scowled, "This is my first speech, okay? Just be quiet and don't disturb me. I need to concentrate"_

"_I know", a midnight-blue-haired-guy who stood beside her was talking to her, trying to rest her assure, "That's why don't push yourself too hard, Cagalli"_

"_I'm trying", she replied, not quite looking at him. She was busy re-reading her speech draft, but no matter how many times she repeated it, it seemed that she never memorized them perfectly, she always missed one or two sentences from it._

_Athrun had never seen her that nervous, and he could understand why. She's the youngest Chief Representative ever, and she had to deliver a speech in front of hundreds of important people, and would be broadcasted to the whole country at the same time._

_Nobody else was inside the waiting room, so he swiftly sat by her side, forgetting his role as Alex Dino, and he changed into Athrun Zala._

"_Look at those dark marks beneath your eyes, Princess", smiling, he ran his hands through her blonde hair, and then he tucked a few strands of it behind her ear, "I bet you didn't sleep last night"_

"_Don't blame me for that, I've tried to sleep but I can't, and there was nothing I can do about it", she replied him harshly, "And don't call me Princess"_

_He smiled, and then he took one of her hand. She let him do it, although in normal circumstances she'd pull her hand and then glared at him, now she just let him take her hand and allow him to do anything with it. He knew that she's extremely nervous from the sensation he felt when he held her hand. It used to be warm, but now it's a bit cold and it trembled slightly. He realized how tiny and children-like her hand was, although it's capable of pulling a trigger efficiently, but still, it was small, compared to him. Slowly, he held her hand with both of his hand, as if he protected it._

"_Take a deep breath, Cagalli"_

_His gentle voice shivered her down to her spine, but strangely, it had calmed her a bit. She followed his advice to take a deep breath, and when she did it a couple of times, she felt a little better. And she replied him by squeezing his hands. His hands were warm, and it was soothing her cold and trembling hand._

"_You can do it", he smiled, whispered to her ear, "I know you can"_

_She nodded, and then she turned her head. The moment she did it, she found him gazing at her, and his face formed an assuring smile. She stared at his emerald eyes, and suddenly she felt his gleam was giving her some kind of odd strength and courage, which was supporting her self from inside._

_She smiled, and then she put her other hand on his, saying, "Thanks, Athrun"_

_---End of flashback---_

She smiled bitterly to no one, probably just to herself, and then she leaned on her chair for support, sighing heavily.

She didn't want to recall it, though. It was her very first appearance on the press, and she was terribly nervous. But as she grew older (and wiser, maybe), she slowly conquered her nervousness, and now, she could deliver a speech with full confidence. And she needed his warm touches before her appearance no more; she could handle it by herself now. She needed neither his gentle voices nor assuring words anymore, all she needed now was a high quality concealer to hide those annoying dark marks beneath her eyes before her appearance.

"Miss Athha, we will start in a few minutes", a guy whose on charge told her.

She got up from her seat, saying, "Thanks. I'm ready now"

* * *

**Author's note**: Thanks for reading my fic… And I hope you guys can give me some useful critics and advice… Well, flames accepted to I never cared much about them. I'm a rookie so I need more advices! Thank you very much…

Praise the Lord for His continuous uncountable blessings!


	13. 君だけに会いたかった

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.**

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_**Chapter Thirteen: Kimi Dake Ni Aitakatta**_

"Ohhh… I see", Kira nodded, "That's why you've been grinning stupidly this whole day"

"Seriously, you're not going to publish that picture, right, Kira?"

"No, I would definitely publish it if I was a maniac who liked to ruin his sister's and best friend's reputation. Well, the fact is, I'm a sane guy, so I won't, and never publish it. Just rest assure, Athrun"

"So, I'm into your trap, am I?", Athrun glared at Kira, who was smirking playfully at him.

"It seems so", Kira answered, "By the way, I have to go, Lacus' waiting for me right now. Oh, I want you to be our best man at our wedding, okay?"

"Um, sure it's no problem, but-"

"We'll take care of the transportation from Onogoro to Aprilius and accommodation, Athrun. Don't worry. And you can keep that picture, I still have a lot at my personal computer", Kira interrupted him, and then rushed away from him, "See you later!"

"See you too, Kira"

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She left the podium hastily, as if standing there for a little bit longer would suffocate her to death. It's not that she's nervous, well; it's true that she used to be nervous when she delivered speech years ago, but now, she's not. She did her job very well; she did it perfectly to be honest.

"Good job, Cagalli-sama", her secretary walked beside her, trying to keep up with her short steps, while handed Cagalli her coat.

"Thanks", she replied, not looking at her secretary, but she received the coat, and immediately wore it. She didn't even smile at her, and it wasn't caused by her tension, no, she was in her usual mood that day.

She was just delivered her speech to the national television, about the re-building of Heliopolis colony. Heliopolis, which had destroyed two years ago at C.E. 71, used to be a colony with a lot of residents there. To prevent the Onogoro Island from being over populated, the government had to rebuild Heliopolis in order to fulfil the housing needs for the citizens. Also, Onogoro Island was focused on military purpose, it could be seen from how large the military base in Onogoro was, so less people were expected to reside in Onogoro. The Heliopolis re-building project was predicted to be finished in eighteen months, or a year and a half, and after that, people would be able to live there again. This time, Heliopolis would be build with more advanced technologies, and more security guarantee.

She continued walking into the ladies toilet, stood before the wash basin, and she intended to erase the make-ups on her face. She had to wear it if she's going to appear on public TV station, like or dislike. She mustn't look pale in front of public, so she had to endure the uncomfortable feeling she really hate of wearing make-ups. And also, she had to hide those annoying dark marks beneath her eyes; otherwise the whole United Emirates of Orb would know that she slept only for three or four hours a day. That's why she's relying on her concealer so much. If she were given the authority, she would give the inventor of concealer a noble prize.

She turned on the water tap, and then she caught the flowing water into her tiny hands before splashing it unto her face, washing it. When she sure that those make up remaining were nowhere on her face, she dried it, and then she gazed on the mirror.

And the moment she gazed onto it, she saw a blond girl with amber eyes, with stoic expression on her face. She smiled a little, and so did her reflection, but it didn't really affect the way her eyes shone. Their gleam was a dull one, almost dispirited and plain. Happiness, blissfulness, sadness, and disappointment weren't there; it was just a mere plain gleam she had on her eyes.

She knew that she had been setting that kind of gleam since the moment she's on the waiting room. She didn't know why, but somehow, having that kind of look seemed to make her easier to do her task. She delivered her speech perfectly, with neither mistakes nor tongue slip, and she did it with that dull look on her face.

That's the way it is, she gave herself a bitter smile, looking at her reflection on the mirror, and then she turned the tap off, I've changed, happy or not.

The situation was, she had to choose between having Athrun whispering some support to her before the speech or to set a stoic look on her face in order to deliver the speech perfectly.

"Anna", she called her secretary again, "How's the main entrance?"

"A lot of uninvited reporters and some paparazzi had been waiting there since an hour ago"

"And how about the other gate?"

"I suggest you to get out from the east gate, Cagalli-sama", her secretary answered, "The amount of the reporters who stood there are the fewest amongst the four gate"

"Very well", she replied, took a glimpse at her watch, "Tell the driver to stand by on the east gate"

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"Huh? A mail?", he murmured, and then he promptly checked his inbox. When he had recognized who had sent him an e-mail, he smiled a little.

_Copernicus, 17th of April, C.E. 75_

_To Athrun_

_How's your day at Sextilis City? I'm having a lot of fun here in Copernicus. Surely Copernicus is a shopping paradise! I couldn't help spending three quarters of my first wage for buying a lot of new fashion items. I like my new job here. Being an instructor for the elementary school children is a lot of fun I guess, although it's sometimes a bit annoying._

_The city here is very busy, a lot busier than Aprilius, but there are less traffic jams here. And the rush hour is fine too. You should come here in your spare time. _

_Anyway, I've heard the new formation of the cabinet order. Well, Miss Canaver's still the chairman, it's good, and she's one of the best leaders I've ever seen in my whole life. But you're not the vice-chairman again. I think it's too bad. I think you're really capable of that position. But it has been decided, so I suppose there's nothing we can do about it. So, may I know what will you do after the reshuffle? At least tell me your new job, he he._

_Well, that's all from me, please reply soon, okay? Thanks a lot._

_Regards,_

_Meyrin Hawke_

He smiled and then he clicked a few icons on his personal computer screen. After that, he prepared himself to write her a reply.

_Sextilis, 18th of April, C.E. 75_

_To Meyrin_

_I'm glad to know that you're satisfied with your new life. I know you're going to like Copernicus; it's a nice city after all. I used to live there in my childhood days (with the new elected ZAFT supreme commander Kira Yamato, you still remember him, don't you? He's Lacus Clyne's fiancé now). _

_About the new formation of the cabinet order, it's not a problem for me. From now on, I'll be assigned permanently at Onogoro as a Diplomatic Council Chairman for United Emirates of Orb. Starting next week, I'll be working there. _

_The reason is because the former Diplomatic Council Chairman has decided to retire, and Chairman Canaver choose me to replace him because she thinks that I'm the suitable person for this position, since I used to live there for a couple of years, and I have close relationships with some high ranked military officers there._

_But 'she' hasn't known about this. Maybe I won't tell her until the time arrives._

_Thanks for your e-mail. And please reply soon too._

_Regards,_

_Athrun Zala_

Finally, he stopped typing on his keyboard. He re-read his newly composed mail twice, making sure that he made no mistakes, and when he had finished checking his mail, he clicked an icon on the screen, and the e-mail was sent.

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"Miss Athha! Please tell us more about the Heliopolis rebuilding project"

"Miss Athha! We've heard that you have a close relationship with the Prince of Scandinavia-"

"Miss Athha! What do you feel about the…"

She just walked through the crowd of reporters, not quite hearing what they say, perhaps because her surroundings were very loud and crowded, so she couldn't hear what they said clearly. Her bodyguards were around her, protected her from those crazy reporters, with their cameras flashing like mad. Some of them were very determined, unfortunately, she didn't bother to answer their questions, and also to speak to they even just one simple short phrase. But she would gladly answer their questions if it was on an official opportunity, such as press conference.

But she heard one of them asking her about her relationship with the Prince of Scandinavia.

She sneered to both herself and those reporters. It was true that she had a close relationship with the Prince of Scandinavia, especially after the second bloody valentine war, or after Yuuna Roma Seiran's death to be precise. They had close relationship, mostly because of Orb's connection with Scandinavia. Both United Emirates of Orb and the Kingdom of Scandinavia were neutral countries. They formed an alliance of neutral countries. Being the Orb's Princess and Chief Representative, Cagalli had to maintain a good relationship with the King, Queen, and Prince of Scandinavia, mostly for political and military purposes. And in order to fulfil that, she met Scandinavia's Royal Family quite often. The King of Scandinavia was a friend of his deceased father.

The Prince wasn't supposed to be succeeded to the throne at that moment, but he usually joined his father and Cagalli discussing some political matters and military affairs. And it wasn't just for once or twice. The Prince was immensely fascinated at Cagalli's ability in handling military affairs, and he often complimented her about that. When he did it, she just gave him a simple smile, and then thanked him for complimenting her. That was the beginning of the whole story.

As the time elapsed, their relationship was getting more intimate, but Cagalli still had not realized that the Prince was having feelings for her. She thought that their relationship was just a mere friendship between the prince and the princess of two different countries. The Prince was two years older than her, though.

And one day, she was extremely surprised when the prince suddenly knelt to her and offered her a ring, proposing her. It was at her nineteenth birthday, and she was really shocked about it. She never expected that being so close to a guy would make him develop any romantic feelings for her. She had many friends since her childhood, and most of them were boys, although she had some girl friends too.

Cagalli was stunned for about a minute or more, and when she had gained her sense again, she smiled to him, thanked him, and said that she couldn't accept his proposal. He looked devastated, but he managed himself to look calm and then asked her the reason why she had declined his proposal. The moment he asked her, she couldn't really answer his inquiry; she just remained silent when inside her head was none other than a certain guy named Athrun Zala.

Hesitantly, she answered him by saying that she had already liked another guy, while she cursed herself in her thoughts. For the past months, she had been trying to get him out of her head. Unfortunately, her efforts were useless, no matter how hard she tried.

She knew the Prince was overwhelmed by her answer, but then he smiled to her, saying that the guy she liked should've been the luckiest guy alive.

She just nodded at his statement, knowing the truth that Athrun Zala was probably together with Meyrin at that time.

_**Making my way downtown**_

_**Walking fast, faces pass**_

_**And I'm home bound**_

"Miss Athha! Heard you're dating the prince of Scandinavia, please tell us more about it"

_**Staring blankly ahead**_

_**Just making my way**_

_**Making a way through the crowd**_

Hearing that impolite request, she decided to ignore them, and continue walking to her car, piercing the huge crowd. Luckily she had both male and female bodyguards, four in total, so she could get over them easily.

She had been used to this kind of situation, though.

_**And I need you**_

_**And I miss you**_

_**And now I wonder...**_

But somehow, she recalled the time when she encountered the exact same situation for the first time, when she was still sixteen, and before she became the Chief Representative, she rarely appeared in public. It was reasonable if the reporters went crazy and trying to inquire her like mad. She was a bit nervous among the huge crowd, but the guy who pierced the crowd back then, Alex Dino, or Athrun Zala, looked incredibly calm, and he easily made her a way. Being a coordinator, he was stronger than ordinary naturals, so he could do his job quite easily. She was a bit scared, and she unconsciously grabbed his jacket, feared that she might get swallowed by the crowd.

_**If I could fall into the sky**_

_**Do you think time would pass me by?**_

She shook her head in order to force her brain back to its working mode.

_**'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles**_

_**If I could just see you…**_

…_**tonight**_

So there she was, continue walking through the crowd, until she reached her car. Even when she had stepped into her car, and shut the door, she still could see some maniac reporters struggling from the restrain of her bodyguards, they were really determined to know more about her, and her current personal affairs.

_**It's always times like these when I think of you**_

_**And I wonder if you ever think of me**_

She leaned on her seat, and slowly, she shut her eyes. Everyone could see clearly that the dark marks beneath her eyes are obvious, especially when she didn't use her concealer. But she could care less about that; all she wanted now was a good sleep although it was only for forty minutes. She's returning to her office, and it took more than forty minutes to get there from the national television building.

_**'Cause everything's so wrong**_

_**And I don't belong living in your precious memories**_

But suddenly, she opened her eyes wide again. A fragment of sweet remembrance had popped up inside the mind of hers, and formed a small theatre inside it.

_---Flashback---_

"_Phew", she leaned on her seat, "Finally"_

"_You're doing well, Princess", a guy who sat beside her said that phrase to her._

_Athrun and Cagalli were inside her car. He sat beside her as her bodyguard. It was the moment after her very first national broadcast, and she finally did it well with no mistakes although she did it a bit haltingly, but it was fine for her first time._

"_Stop calling me princess, Athrun", she glared at him, "Or else I have to wreck your neck", and then she leaned to her seat again, saying, "Gosh! I'm dead tired"_

"_Of course you are, Cagalli. You only slept for less than three hours for three nights straight", he said with a bit worried tone in his voice._

"_I know that already, and please shut that annoying mouth of yours, Athrun, I'm trying to sleep, I still have forty minutes until I arrive at my office again, so don't disturb me, otherwise I'll-"_

_He smiled, and then he quickly dragged her closer to him so she placed her head upon his shoulder._

"_Sleep now, Princess", he whispered gently, smiling at her._

_She tried to argue him for calling her a princess for countless times, but she was so sleepy that she couldn't help herself not to sleep soundly, and using his broad shoulder as her pillow._

_---End of flashback---_

'_**Cause I need you**_

_**And I miss you**_

_**And now I wonder...**_

She smiled bitterly to herself. _Those memories_, she thought deeply inside her heart, _too sweet to be forgotten, yet too painful to be recalled._

_**If I could fall into the sky**_

_**Do you think time would pass me by?**_

Honestly, she couldn't deny the fact that she, Cagalli Yula Athha, the Princess and the Chief Representative of Orb, truly missed him, Athrun Zala, PLANT's Supreme Council Vice Chairman, and soon-to-be PLANT's Diplomatic Council Chairman for United Emirates of Orb. Of course, she didn't know the fact about his being appointed as the PLANT's Diplomatic Council Chairman for United Emirates of Orb.

_**'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles**_

_**If I could just see you…**_

…_**tonight**_

"Cagalli-sama", her secretary called her, waking her up from her early day dreaming, "You'll have a meeting two hours later-"

"I recalled that, Anna", Cagalli turned at her, smiling a little, and Anna, her secretary, realized that it was neither a satisfied smile nor a devastated one; it was just a tired and bitter smile. Anna had been working with Cagalli since three years ago. At first, she was a bit startled about Cagalli's secret affair with her coordinator bodyguard called Alex Dino (she didn't know that his real name was Athrun Zala), but Cagalli told her to shut her mouth and had her sworn that she would tell nobody about this. And after the second bloody valentine war ended, she noticed her superior was changing a bit. She really noticed it, but she didn't have the courage to enquire Cagalli about that.

Being Cagalli's secretary for three years, she was dare to admit that Cagalli's always looked tired. That's why she suggested Cagalli to bring a concealer everywhere she goes, and Cagalli obeyed it.

"Are you going to sleep, Cagalli-sama?"

"Yes. Please don't disturb me", she smiled to Anna, and then she promptly closed her eyes.

"As you wish, Cagalli-sama"

* * *

**Author's note**: Thanks for reading my fic… And I hope you guys can give me some useful critics and advice… Well, flames accepted to I never cared much about them. I'm a rookie so I need more advices! Thank you very much…

Praise the Lord for His continuous uncountable blessings!


	14. 幸せへの招待

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**

* * *

**

SPECIAL THANKS TO SamuraiGirl7 FOR THE EDITING (i owe u so much :p). From now on, no bad grammars thanks to her...

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_**Chapter Fourteen: Shiawase E No Shoutai**_

"No, no, no, Pink-chan", Lacus grabbed her pink Haro, while she left the others bouncing freely around her, "You shouldn't do that, okay?" She then turned to the two guys who sat in front of her on the other side of the table, "So, you're going to Orb tomorrow?"

"Yes", Athrun answered.

"It's nice working on earth again" Kira joined them, "Everything here isn't as natural as it appears to be. Things are totally artificial! Artificial sunset, artificial rain, even artificial morning dew. The only thing which was naturally created here is the traffic jam!"

Athrun chuckled a little and then he replied, "That's what I don't like about Aprilius."

"Well, it's obvious" Lacus said, "Aprilius is the PLANT for trading purposes, no wonder it's so crowded."

"Did Cagalli know about this?" Kira suddenly asked Athrun. He was a bit startled with Kira's answer, but he shook his head in reply for Kira's question.

Lacus was handling the pot, and she tried to pour some more tea into her cup she suddenly realized the teapot was already empty. Getting up she said, "Ah, I'm going to refill the teapot."

"I see", Kira sipped his tea, and then continued, "How about the girl… that girl… Ahhh, I can't remember her name, the CIC girl, umm…"

"Did you mean Meyrin Hawke, Kira?"

Kira nodded, and then started to ask Athrun, "You and-"

"Don't worry" Athrun interrupted him, "It's not like what you've been thinking, Kira. And, for your information, she's in Copernicus now"

"Oh" Kira simply nodded, and then sipped his tea 'n cream again. Knowing Athrun had no feelings for the red haired CIC, was a bit relieving, although there's one more thing that bothered his mind now.

Kira looked at his surroundings to make sure that nobody was eavesdropping on them. Lacus was in the kitchen making some more tea, and Kira was sure she wouldn't hear what he was going to say to Athrun. There were no maids were around either.

Finally Kira took a deep breath, and called his best friends name, "Athrun"

"What's up, Kira?"

"Promise me one thing" Kira's face turned very serious as he spoke his mind, "Please don't hurt my sister again."

He had expected it from the very beginning, Kira was trying to say that phrase to him. It's not that he's avoiding it. He just didn't like facing the truth that he had hurt Cagalli more than once, and Cagalli's brother now was sitting before him, asking him not to hurt his sister again. It was a bit frightening for Athrun Zala, he was ZAFT's red coat before, yet he feared his own old friend. Because of his fear, he tried to avoid Kira's amethyst eyes. It's not that he didn't respect Kira, no, he respected him very much as best friend and as comrade, but he didn't like the way Kira's eyes gazing at him. Truly, Kira didn't intend to make Athrun felt uneasy, but due to Athrun's guilt to Cagalli, it was obvious why he felt terribly uneasy at the moment.

Kira was trying to make Athrun promised him not to hurt Cagalli again. By some means, he could understand Kira's point of view. During the second bloody valentine war, he was the one who's always beside Cagalli, accompanying her, the one who rescued her from her wedding, and the one who gave her supports when she couldn't stand watching her country being crushed. Don't forget Kira was the person she had trusted her ring to when she was forced to marry that purple haired monkey. After all, Kira was her other twin, a person she could trust entirely.

If Athrun were Kira, he would have done the same.

He smiled bitterly to no one in particular, neither to himself nor Kira. It seemed his smile was the only way to express his mixed up feelings. As if he had fallen into a bottomless cliff with no self-security devices, all he could do was let the situation play with his life and hoping for some luck.

Life is full of promises. When we were young, we promised our parents that we wouldn't come home late, but in fact, we broke the promise by playing until the night came. When we got a little older, we promised our friends that we would arrive at the usual hang out place on time, yet we arrived a few minutes late. And when we had turned adults, we promised our children that we would spend our weekends with them, but in the end, we broke it too by saying we're too busy or too tired from working.

Yes, life is full of promises. Some of them could be fulfilled, while some couldn't. If we had two appointments at once, we had to cancel one of them and attending the other. This is where priority goes. Even though each individual wondered why life is full of promises, the answer was already obvious. It is very easy to make a promise; the hard thing is to fulfil it.

Athrun, being a coordinator, solved nothing from his internal conflict. He was just an ordinary human, although he had had his genes carefully tampered with. His first promise was with his parents, to study hard at Copernicus. After that, he had made a lot of promises with Kira at their childhood days, promises to play together, promises to share their toys, making assignments together, and to share their secrets. When he was twelve, he had promised to avenge his mother's death in front of her tombstone, that's why he joined ZAFT Military Academy at thirteen. But then he realized his way was totally wrong, thanks to Cagalli Yula Athha, Lacus Clyne, and his best friend Kira Yamato. He should have realized that avenging his mother's death would bring nothing but more starkness inside his drifting heart. Nevertheless, his mother wouldn't be brought back life even if he took revenge for her death.

When he was sixteen, he promised Cagalli to protect each other before the battle at Jachin Due. He nearly broke this promise when he attempted to use Justice's self-destructing device at Genesis, fortunately Cagalli had stopped him, telling him that to live is to fight, encouraging him to keep on living. He really thanked her for that and he continued protecting her by staying at her side as Alex Dino, her bodyguard. When he was eighteen, he had made another promise to her again. He was about to leave Orb, and he promised her that he would come back as soon as he could.

And he didn't.

He even hurt her more by saying the path she had chosen was wrong, attacking the country that her father had trusted it to and leaving her in despair.

Another mistakes he had made.

More tears she had shed because of her suffering.

And not to forget, most of her suffering was caused by a certain human being named Athrun Zala.

He looked at his tea-filled-cup, stirring it with constant speed although he had put neither sugar nor cream into it.

Athrun Zala was in an unbeneficial situation though. Now, Kira was persuading him to make another promise which he wasn't sure whether he could fulfil it or not. Surely, he didn't want himself to change into a promise-breaker-guy, even though he realized he was turning into that type step by step.

"Athrun" Kira suddenly spoke, slapped his thoughts back into its normal stance, "Forgive me for what I've said before."

Slowly, Athrun lifted his head so he could face Kira and said, "You don't have to, I know that it's my fault to begin with-"

"No, I mean, you don't have to promise me, somehow, I can understand your situation too." Kira smiled and continued, "And if I were you, I couldn't promise that I won't hurt her again."

Athrun eyes widened in curiosity, he didn't expect Kira to speak like that. It seemed that Kira could read his mind. Actually, Kira couldn't, but he tried to understand the situation from Athrun's point of view, he didn't want to be an egoistic person.

"But I do hope that she will happy." Kira whispered, not quite looking at Athrun.

"Kira" Athrun suddenly called his best friend's name attempting to say something, "Actually I've wanted to say this for years, I guess I'll tell you now..." his hands gripped his cup more tightly and then he said, "…I'm sorry for hurting your sister."

Kira smiled, and then replied him by saying, "Its okay for now, Athrun."

"You know, Kira…" Athrun stirred his tea for no purposes again, "…sometimes I wondered why I didn't say 'I'm sorry' earlier."

"…Because our mistakes in the past were our burdens. The heavier they were, the harder we could apologize, and also, the harder we could forgive one another." Kira replied.

"Maybe" Athrun smiled, "I fear that if I'm going to make another promise, I'd just break it again."

"But sometimes the risks must be taken" Kira said, "Or else we won't achieve what we want"

"In order to do that, some sacrifice should be made." Athrun continued. He really understood the current situation. Cagalli was willing to sacrifice her feelings towards him for the benefit of her country. Athrun, somehow felt extremely disappointed, but he was nothing compared the whole nation of Orb. Athrun, being the sacrifice, could do nothing but to give up and let fate play with their lives.

"You're right." Kira nodded.

"But, Kira, I don't mind losing her-" Athrun spoke again, "-as long as she's happy."

Kira was ready to say something, he had had his mouth opened to let some words slide out from it, but then Athrun spoke again, so he promptly closed his mouth again, and prepared his ears to listen to Athrun carefully.

"In my opinion…" Athrun looked straight into Kira's eyes, "…Loving someone deeply and then lose the one we love the most is better than never loved someone deeply at all. So that's why, no matter what, I will never regret loving her."

Kira looked at him, and suddenly he felt sorry for both his best friend and his other twin.

"Athrun, do you know what the most important factor in the pursuit of happiness is?"

"Umm, well, I don't know, so, why don't you tell me, Kira?"

"The most important thing in the pursuit of happiness isn't which way we will take to achieve it. Actually, the most important factor is the partner we will choose for accompanying our journey."

"I see" Athrun nodded.

Suddenly Lacus appeared in front of them carrying a fully refilled teapot saying, "Sorry to make you guys waiting for so long." she then refilled their cups with freshly brewed tea.

She smiled at both of them. They were really best friends, indeed.

"So Athrun, send my regards to Cagalli and the others okay?" she immediately sat beside Kira, got herself a cup of tea and then added a teaspoon of sugar to it, "I mean, to Mwu and Murrue and also Miriallia…"

"No problem." Athrun said, "How's your wedding preparation?"

"Everything's fine." Lacus smiled, but then she suddenly lifted her cup saying, "I know it's really awkward to toast with a cup of tea instead a glass of wine but, shall we all lift our cups and toast?"

Kira smiled, and then he lifted his cup, followed by Athrun.

Lacus gave them a sweet satisfied smile saying, "For our pursuit of happiness."

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Surely she was about to be insane. Well, it's true that Cagalli Yula Athha was totally sane, but in fact, she was going to be insane. Something inside her mind had slowly driven her insane. She tried to avoid the probability of being insane by working. Common people would say that sleep is the best escape, but for her, work is.

Two o'clock in the night, and she was still doing her work. It was not because she had so much work, well, she did have a lot of work, but it didn't require her to work until that late at night. She just liked working, especially when she was all alone at night, in her bedroom.

A dim light occurred from the screen of her laptop on her desk. When she was young, she always studied there. She still kept her textbooks, although she seldom read it anymore. Putting them inside her bedroom surely brought her memories. Although she had always been home schooled since her childhood, it didn't make her unmotivated to study. She did very well on her lessons, although she didn't really like maths, especially trigonometry. She liked algebra though.

She also kept some framed photographs on her desk. She had her friends photographs, mostly consists of Julie, Asagi, and Mayura. The three of them were her close friends; they used to spend their times together before she ran away from Orb, joining the resistance group in some desert. When she returned to Orb, she spent her times with them again, but it was only for a while, because after that, Orb faced a dangerous situation thanks to Muruta Azrael, and she's the one who was in charge for military affairs, so she couldn't be with them. They were with her when Kusanagi escaped to the space, and shortly after that, they passed away during the final battle of the first bloody valentine war at Jachin Due.

It was very hard for her, after losing her father. She had to lose her closest friends too.

She also had her father's picture on her desk.

Smiling, she couldn't help not to touch that photo with her fingers, and she thought of something.

Even though sometimes she insulted her father, and she didn't obey his advice, she loved him for sure, and if she were given the chances, she would like to meet him again, even for just one or two minutes. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask to him and she regretted not telling her father that she love him so much before his death.

Sometimes she wondered if she were to exchange position with Kira when they were still infants, she wouldn't have the responsibility to rule the country, but she wouldn't have known Uzumi Nara Athha in exchange.

Actually, she never knew that she was adopted until she was fourteen. She used to believe that she was Uzumi's biological daughter until she overheard her father and Unato Ema Seiran talking about her origins. Unato asked him whether it was fine for Uzumi to have an adopted daughter as his successor, and Uzumi asked him that it was fine with him.

Hearing that she was shocked, but since she was too scared of facing the truth she didn't ask further information about it. She just pretend that she never heard that conversation and lived her days as usual. But a few moments before Kusanagi's departure to space, her father gave her a photograph which showed a woman carrying two babies. On the back side of the picture, there were some writings, which were 'Kira' and 'Cagalli'.

At that time, she was really sure that she was not Uzumi's daughter. However she didn't tell anyone about her feelings, not even Athrun, although he probably would have known.

After she returned to Orb she secretly investigated about her biological parents and she discovered her biological father was the scientist Uleen Hibiki, and her biological mother was Via Hibiki. Kira was truly her twin brother, although they were fraternal twins, not identical ones. She wondered why Kira was coordinator while she was a natural. Shortly after she found out that when Via was expecting her twins, Uleen secretly took one embryo from her womb, and tampering with Kira's genes, resulting in Kira becoming the ultimate coordinator.

'_Who cares about them?'_ She thought and then returned doing her work again, '_I don't know any fathers except Uzumi Nara Athha.'_

She checked her schedules for the next day, and she found no important meetings. So she checked her schedules for the next two days and yes, she found an important appointment.

In two days time, she would meet PLANT's Diplomatic Council Chairman and PLANT's Administrative Council Chairman regarding some matters.

She shut her laptop down, and promptly went to sleep.

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**Author's note**: Thanks for reading my fic… And I hope you guys can give me some useful critics and advice… Well, flames accepted to I never cared much about them. I'm a rookie so I need more advices! Thank you very much…

And thanks to SamuraiGirl7, this fic is much better than it should be :) really thankz...

Shiawase e no shoutai : The Pathway to happiness

Praise the Lord for His continuous uncountable blessings!


	15. 見えない未来

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**No bad grammars from now on thanks to SamuraiGirl7 :D I owe you so much hehe

* * *

**

_**Chapter Fifteen: Mienai Mirai**_

"Lacus" Kira called her by her name while staring at her pretty face, "Thanks for the dinner."

"Ah, you're welcome, Kira." she replied with a smiled, and let her maid take the empty dishes, and wipe the dining table. After her maids had finished she stood.

"Okay, let's continue our research again." She smiled as she led Kira into a certain room, "By the way, how was the dinner?"

"Well usually I don't really like fish, but, it was amazingly delicious tonight." Kira answered while following her and continued, "Did you cook it?"

"Yes" she answered, she now put her thumb on the lock of the door and a few seconds later the door opened itself, "I'm glad you like it."

"I see. It was really delicious, but you don't have to bother yourself about the cooking, you have a lot of maids here…"

"I don't cook usually, but I do sometimes whenever I feel like doing it." She turned to him, and then she promptly entered her room. It could be called her office, but of course it was not her real office, the real one was at Terminal Council Building. Let's just call that room her home-office because this was the place she used to work at home.

The room wasn't huge, but rather it was the average office size. The unusual thing about that room was that it had many screens and communication devices, and it looked a lot like a military base rather than ordinary office. She often used it for her video conference with the other Clyne Faction members since they were scattered all over the universe. The communication devices there were no ordinary ones. They were the ones where people could use private communication lines as well as secret communication lines which only Lacus, Kira and Andrew Waltfield knew about.

Lacus immediately sat on a chair followed by Kira who took a seat beside her. She typed something on her personal computer while Kira used his laptop after he had connected his it with Lacus' set of personal computers with some cables.

"Lacus" Kira called her, while he typed furiously on his keyboard, "I think we've just received some information from our little hacker."

"Is it Meyrin?" She asked as she turned to him. "What kind of information?"

"About ZAFT's radical faction that now is currently undercover." Kira answered, "And she put so much protection on it, it's quite tough to open it…"

"Well, I'll leave it to you Kira." Lacus faced her personal computer again, "She's ZAFT's secret agent now, isn't she?"

"Yes, although her cover is an elementary school teacher. She didn't tell anyone about her current job, except us." he replied, "Yeah! I did it."

"May I take a look?" She asked.

"Sure. I'll send it to you at once"

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"Cagalli-sama, the meeting will be start at nine o'clock in the morning."

"Okay." She stood while still holding the phone, "I'll be ready in fifteen minutes. Just tell the driver to prepare the car." She then promptly cut the line off.

She walked to the mirror in her bedroom and checked her appearance. She was clad in her usual emir suit, not the military ones, and she was checking whether she looked scruffy or not. She didn't look scruffy however because a few seconds after she stood before the mirror, she smiled at her reflection satisfactorily. And, yes, she was wearing a knee length skirt instead of trousers. She used to wear trousers years ago, but a few months after the second bloody valentine war had ended and she had signed the treaty between both PLANT and Earth Alliance she decided to change her appearance a bit.

When she told her seamstress to make her a skirt, she didn't believer her ears and asked Cagalli to repeat her sentence three times. When she wore it to a meeting all the emirs were left jaw-dropped. Uzumi's daughter was known for her unlady-like manner and now she's wearing a formal working skirt for the first time. Even Mana didn't believe her eyes when she saw Cagalli wear that skirt. The moment she saw Cagalli wearing her plum coloured skirt, she even said that Uzumi-sama would had risen from his grave just to see his daughter wearing that attire.

Cagalli smiled. Her father didn't even get a proper funeral. She didn't really mind that, since a proper ceremony had already been held to honour his father's death. However the ceremony was followed by another ceremony though. It was the ceremony to honour her as the successor of her deceased father.

It was the worst ceremony she ever had in her whole life.

_---Flashback---_

_She was forced to smile when she still mourned her father's death. Everyone seemed to be ignorant to her feelings; everybody was congratulating and wishing her good luck, while some others humiliated her behind her back. Some politicians were cheering her, but behind her back they were putting her down because of her age and gender._

_T__he Sahaku family did send their condolences to her father, and even cheered her on but they were the same with the other emirs and politicians. Humiliation was all she had got from them. _

_The Seiran family's action was the worst. Unato Ema Seiran forced her to be Yuuna Roma Seiran's future wife and she had no other choice back then. She was sixteen year old girl, yet she was the Chief Representative of Orb. In fact, she was the youngest representative ever. She knew the Seiran's family wanted the authority to rule the all of Orb, and it was obvious. Although she was against the idea of marrying Yuuna Roma Seiran, she could do nothing about that. _

_After the ceremony__ she returned to her manor, accompanied by her secretary Harriet. Harriet quit her job one year later due to her pregnancy, and was replaced by Anna. Also, on her way back to her manor, she was accompanied by her bodyguard, which was none other than Alex Dino._

_Or Athrun Zala, whichever you like the best. _

_When she arrived at her manor, she __didn't speak to anyone, not even to Athrun. She still remained silent. The words she had said at the moment were simply, "I'll start working tomorrow. I'm sorry, give me some rest today."_

_She still remained silent__ locking herself in her office preparing her work for the next day. She didn't even eat her lunch, and Mana didn't dare to force her to eat it she had known from the gleam of Cagalli's eyes that she was having a hard time. Mana had never seen Cagalli that hopeless. She didn't even know how to cheer her up. She pleaded with Athrun to talk to Cagalli._

_However __Athrun replied to her by saying that he had tried it more than twice, yet Cagalli still remained silent about it. She still had her chin up even though she was being crushed from the inside._

_He tried to talk to her again, though. When he didn't find her at her office, he found her in her father's room._

_When he knocked, and asked permission to enter, she still spoke nothing; she just gave him a weak smile and a simple nod as an answer._

_She was sitting on her father's chair and gazing at some stuff on her father's desk. They both remained silent until finally she stood and said to him, "Let's get out of here." Athrun nodded, and then followed her out of the room. She closed the door very slowly, and then she locked it. She stood before the door, but facing the opposite way, preparing herself to leave that place, but she didn't continue her way. Instead, she slowly lowered herself and then she sat on the floor, leaning on the locked door of her father's room._

_Athrun promptly knelt before her, asking if something was wrong, but she just shook her head, and told him that he could go home now. However Athrun refused to go home. Instead of leaving her, he sat beside her saying he wouldn't go home that night, since he had no home to go to._

_She went into her silent mode again, until she weakly said, "Don't look at me. Leave me. NOW! No 'but's."_

_She hugged her knees__ and then she hid her face from him. Even though he didn't see it, he knew she wanted to cry. He was aware she didn't want anybody to see her in that condition. That was why she remained silent for the whole day. She didn't tell anyone about her feelings, about how she was terribly sad and how horrible she felt about being humiliated behind her back._

"_Cagalli," Athrun said pulling himself closer to her, "You can cry if you wanted to. Nobody will blame you for that."_

_She shook her head, still hiding her face from him, and continued to hug her knees in terrible irritation. _

_He just let her remained silent, and spoke nothing. He just let her become lost in her thoughts knowing he could do nothing about it he just let her do what she needed._

"_I've told you to leave Athrun." She demanded, her tone was very weak and dispirited, "Leave me alone."_

"_I won't." H__e replied._

"_You have to."_

"_I will not."_

"_LEAVE ME ALONE NOW!" She yelled at him__ for the second time. The first time she yelled at him was during the first war when she had discovered Athrun was the one who killed Kira, although the fact was Kira managed to survive from Athrun's attack._

"_No matter how hard or how loud you yell at me I won't leave you. I won't take my words back, you still can cry if you wanted to Cagalli." he said, "And if you don't want me to see you crying, I'll turn my back, so I won't see you"_

_Hearing Athrun saying that she stretched her limbs and then she stood saying, "Whatever"__ and she walked away leaving him in front of the room. He stood and immediately tried to catch up with her. Knowing the fact that Athrun was walking behind her and trying to catch up with her, she quickened her pace but suddenly, she stopped. Athrun was bewildered with her sudden stopping and he stopped when he was standing beside her. He stared at her and he realized she was totally in desperation and could find no other words to yell to him._

_Suddenly, she walked in the opposite direction and a few seconds later he felt a pair of hands grab his broad shoulders tightly as she leaned on his back for support. He could feel her grip was growing tighter and tighter, and also, he could her a few quiet sobs from his back. Somehow, he felt a slight pain throbbing through him as easily as a knife pierced a flesh. He couldn't help but turn to her direction and hugged her tightly, letting her wept on his chest as much as she wanted. _

_He could understand how she felt even though she didn't describe anything to him. He was with her through the whole ceremony and he could feel his fists clenched hard at her being humiliated behind her back but he couldn't do anything about it. Alex Dino was just supposed to stand beside her and protected her from physical attacks, not psychological ones. Alex Dino wasn't supposed to do anything. _

_He hugged her more tightly. He didn't care if she's going to cry for hours and wet his shirts completely. He would do anything just to prevent her from suffering, unfortunately, he could do nothing. So, he just let her weep there, while he tried to give her as much comfort as he could._

_He couldn't even smile at her. H__is heart was throbbing with pain as he saw her in that state which she considered extremely pathetic. She cursed herself for being that pathetic. She was weak, futile, feeble and inadequate. He just caressed her gently, and embraced her more tightly._

_He kept doing that until she finally talked to him again, even though just one short phrase._

"_Athrun" S__he said between her sobs so quiet ordinary naturals couldn't hear it, "I'm sorry."_

"_What are you sorry for?"_

_She shook her head, and then she went silent again._

"_I'm sorry for making your shirt wet, you fool." She insulted him, looking straight at his eyes, and gave him a smile. Surprisingly, it wasn't a bitter smile like before. "I start working tomorrow, Athrun, so would you please release your grip so I can go to bed?"_

_Athrun smiled at her then placed a small gently kiss on her lips._

"_Good night, Princess", __He touched her cheeks which were a bit wet because of her tears. "See you tomorrow morning."_

_---End of Flashback---_

She still stood before the mirror with her eyes staring blankly at her reflection. Realizing she had been dozing off for a few minutes she slapped herself so she could get out from her self thoughts.

"No more dozing off Cagalli." She spoke to herself. "You're going to have a meeting with PLANT council members today, so you'd better prepare yourself otherwise everything would be ruined."

She buttoned her shirts and then went downstairs.

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"Kira," Lacus called him "Miriallia has sent us information. I'll send it to your laptop so you can see it too."

"Okay." Kira nodded, while opening the file from Lacus. The moment he opened it, his mouth widened in surprise.

"Lacus-" he said with shocked expression on his face, "-this is, no way…"

"Unfortunately, Kira-", Lacus turned to him, with worried look on her face, "-my suspicion were correct. Secretary General Maria Josefa Ivanovski is a former Blue Cosmos."

"From this document-" Kira scrolled something on the file "-I can conclude that she, by some means, has the same political ways as Adolph Hitler."

"He was millenniums ago, Kira. It is Cosmic Era and the war was Bloody Valentine War not the First or Second World War." Lacus replied, "But you're right. She silently declared that naturals are 'the right human beings'. Racialism, in other words"

"Fortunately, they don't have much military power." Kira typed something on his laptop, "We should get ready too. Let's talk about this in our next meeting Lacus. Have you sent the meeting announcement?"

"Yes, along with our wedding invitation." Lacus smiled "The meeting will be held at Aprilius One, one day before our wedding, so people won't have any suspicions."

"I see." Kira nodded and then glanced at the clock in his laptop-

"Oh no!" He exclaimed as he promptly closed all programs saying, "I'm sorry Lacus. I have to leave now otherwise I will be late for the last shuttle to Aprilius-One…"

"Oh, I see." Lacus turned to him, and then bid him good bye. "Quick. You don't want to miss the shuttle again, do you? Good night and be careful Kira."

Kira took his coat and then pecked Lacus on her lips, "See you soon, Lacus. Good luck handling those affairs. I'll help you as soon as possible."

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"Cagalli-sama" Anna promptly stood beside her while Cagalli was having her breakfast. "I'm sorry to disturb you during your breakfast but I have something to tell you-"

Cagalli interrupted her saying, "Is this about PLANT's reshuffling results? I don't think it's that important since the chairman's still the same as before…"

"Um, this is about PLANT's Diplomatic Council for Orb Union Cagalli-sama." She continued reading her PDA, "Chairman Andrew Rivers has decided to retire from his job and now his position is being replaced by someone else-"

"He retired?" Cagalli took her juice glass, and gave her maids a certain gesture so they would refill it. "I see. Thanks for telling me about that. Thus I won't face that old chairman again. So who's in charge now?"

"The new one is…" Anna clicked a few icons on her PDA "…Athrun Zala."

The moment she heard his name being mentioned she accidentally let her glass slipped from that tiny hand of hers. It fell on the marble floor and crashed with a loud, clear noise.

"Can you repeat the name once again Anna?" Her eyes still widened in disbelief. '_I must be dreaming_,_' _she thought, '_perhaps I should go to an ear specialist, no, maybe psychiatrist would have it done better.'_

"Cagalli-sama, are you okay?" Anna questioned confused at her sudden change of behaviour.

"I'm okay and please repeat that name once again Anna." She demanded while one of her maids swept those scattered fragment of the glass.

"Athrun Zala, the newly elected PLANT Diplomatic Council Chairman for Orb Union."

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Lacus was gazing at the stars in the terrace of her mansion. She recalled the time when Kira proposed to her at that place but he forgot the ring, so he had to dash to his car so he could get it and offered it to her. She giggled at his clumsiness. Despite his genetic divide as ultimate coordinator Kira was still clumsy and a bit childish according to Lacus. She looked at her left hand, and she touched the ring with her right hand. She liked the ring very much although blue wasn't her favourite colour.

When she enquired Kira why he had choose aqua instead of her favourite colour pink he smiled, and answered like this.

"_I know that pink is your favourite colour, but I've decided to give you something different. Why aquamarines, eh? Aquamarine is the birth jewel of those who was born on Fe__bruary, and you're one of those Lacus. As for the diamonds? I don't really know, well, despite the fact that all girls like diamonds. I choose it because diamonds are forever Lacus. And so-", Kira's face went deep red as he continued saying, "-well, let's just say diamonds are forever… Just like-", he tried to hide his blushing face, but he couldn't, "-us. Uhm, just like us."_

She smiled blissfully as she recalled the time when he said that to her. Kira never said he loved her, but she didn't see a need for that. She never told Kira that she loved him either, and she could tell he didn't need that kind of declaration. Both of them knew they loved each other so deeply. They needed neither explanation nor declaration, it was unspoken, but she was very certain that he truly loved her.

She loved Kira very much and she was terribly happy about the fact that a few weeks later, they were going to spend their remaining lifetime together.

She wanted to move from her current house to Kira's at Aprilius-One but unfortunately, her status as the leader of Terminal prevented her from doing so. Knowing this fact, Kira had asked his superiors whether he could stay at Aprilius-Two after his marriage and they allowed him to do so. Kira could do his work at Aprilius-Two, but he had to go to Aprilius-One once every month for a couple of days. Lacus didn't mind at all being together with Kira had made her so happy.

Suddenly her phone rang and she promptly picked it up.

"Lacus Clyne here." She said, but as she heard who the one on the other line was she chuckled, and replied, "So you've missed the shuttle for the third time Kira? Okay then, I'll tell my maid to prepare your room."

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"Cagalli-sama are you okay?" Anna asked her sitting beside her inside her car. They were on their way to PLANT Embassy Building.

"Ah, I'm okay, I just thought about the colony at the L3..."

"Cagalli-sama" Anna looked at her with confused look on her eyes, "PLANT's colonies were located at L4 and L5. There is nothing on L3 but a few military base and research center."

"Ah, yeah, I meant L5." Cagalli corrected her statement before. Strange, she didn't usually behave like that, unless there was something on her mind which had bothered her so much.

Actually they really existed inside her mind and they were bothering her.

She quickly shook her head in order to get rid of the mess inside her mind and then she slapped herself so she could concentrate on her true purpose of meeting PLANT's Council Members. Since Orb's going to build two space colonies, they had to decide about the territory. Orb's government would build two space colonies, Heliopolis-One and Heliopolis-Two, and it would be located on L4. Most of PLANT's space colonies were there too. For that reason, Orb's government and PLANT's Supreme Council had to establish their territory lines and borders especially when it comes to military affairs and laws.

The old Heliopolis was built at L5, but since L5 was already filled with a lot of debris, Orb's Council had decided to rebuild it at L4. Well it's true that L1 and L2 are closer to earth, but those points were already full with Earth Alliance Military Base. So L5 would be the perfect place for rebuilding Heliopolis, since PLANT's colonies which were located at L5 were built to fulfil their civilians' need of housing and education. Note that all cities of PLANT (From Januarius to December) were located at L5.

She could no longer concentrate properly anymore.

"Cagalli-sama," Anna said "We've arrived at PLANT's Embassy Building"

'_Good,'_ She thought to herself while she let herself out from her car. Kisaka and Amagi walked behind her, '_No matter what happens, you mustn't lose yourself, Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha.'_

She entered the enormous PLANT Embassy Building with the same pace as a person who walked to a guillotine waiting for her head to be chopped.

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**Author's note**: Sorry for the late update, bad internet connections. Haha. Exam is coming. EXAM IS COMING!!!!

Btw, thx to Samurai Girl7 and all of my reviewers. I do hope i'll get more review, but i think i'll just wait... You know what? I think this story update will be slower than it should be (thanx to my homeworks and exam) but i'm trying to fasten it :)

Mienai Mirai : Unseen Future

Praise the Lord for His continuous uncountable blessings!


	16. 君

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

**Special thanks to SamuraiGirl7 as usual XD**

**Well, Let's into the fic but… I've warned you… My grammar SUCK! I'm not good at written English (should I take a course?), so forgive me for that.

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**

_**Chapter Sixteen: Kimi**_

'_Uhh, its morning already?' _He thought, immediately covering his eyes with his hand so he didn't have to see those annoying sunrays.

A black haired guy with magenta eyes groaned while a pink-haired girl sat beside him, clad in her pastel pink night gown, and she didn't button the upper part of it, which had made her undergarments seen almost clearly.

"Wake up Shinn." She drew herself closer to him, "Or else you'll be late."

"Five minutes Luna." He answered sleepily.

"No" She leaned towards him and then kissed him gently on his lips, and said, "You'll be training those new recruits from the military academy today."

Knowing that he had no other choice but to obey her orders he got up from his current position and he wiped his eyes so he could clearly see his surroundings. When he was completely awake he sat beside Lunamaria, and caressed her cheek saying, "You're early today Luna."

"Why is that wrong, Shinn?" She answered in a sly tone while her hands wrapped themselves around his neck.

Shinn Asuka couldn't stand that look on her face and he promptly kissed her.

"Nothing wrong, it's just-" He had his hands around her waist, "-well, it's a bit unusual. How long have you been awake?" (You could also say, "When did you wake up?"- this would work also. Then Luna's reply could stay the same as you originally had it, "An hour ago.")

"About an hour." She answered and leaned towards him, "Get ready Shinn." She smiled and then turned to him, "We've got a lot of surprises today."

She walked away and entered the bathroom leaving Shinn in confusion.

"A lot of-" He got up from his current position and continued, "-surprises?"

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"So, let's state our problems here." She began the meeting, sat on her seat, and turned her laptop on.

A certain guy named Athrun Zala was terribly bewildered at her behaviour. He didn't expect her to change that much; the last time he saw her at Copenhagen, she wasn't like that.

She was cold and totally focused on her work. She was still as sharp as ever and working efficiently. But the extraordinary thing was she behaved like nothing had happened between them. The moment they met she shook hands with him saying, "It's been so long, Chairman Zala."

He had no other choice but to reply, "The same goes for you, Miss Athha."

She looked terribly stoic and nobody could guess what she thought. Totally expressionless, and she had her impenetrable invisible walls covering her true self.

He kept staring at her, while dozens of questions popped up into his coordinator brain. He couldn't understand why she had changed, again, all of the sudden. He wondered from whom she had learned to be cold and unreadable like that. He found her attitude had stunned him. She was really focused on her work, and sometimes, she smiled a little to the other council members and also to him. The smile she had given was certainly a fake meaningless smile, merely just for formality. She sure seemed confident while he was totally uneasy inside.

Their last reunion was about three or four weeks ago, yet she seemed to have forgotten all that had happened before. They were just not contacting each other for about three weeks, yet she had gone far away, again.

She was beyond his reach. Actually, she was sitting near him, and she talked to him for some moments, but she seemed so far away he could conclude that each of them were living in separate dimension. Forget those sweet words. Forget all those soothing touches. And forget all those passionate kisses. According to Athrun Zala's feelings, the Cagalli that he was seeing now was different. She was not just-plain-and-simple-Cagalli; she was Chief-Representative-Cagalli-Yula-Athha-of-Orb-Union. When she was in her current state, he could do nothing except changed his self from just-plain-and-simple-Athrun to PLANT-Diplomatic-Council-Chairman-for-Orb-Athrun-Zala.

Was it caused by him not contacting her? He didn't know. He also wasn't sure if that's the correct reason. The last time they met each other, she demanded a complete break up with him. He was against the idea of course, and knew that her demand before was a lie. Without thinking, both of them ended up making a promise to each other, again. The promise to be themselves next time they see each other again. No words were needed to construct that promise; it was created by their hearts.

Heck, she broke the promise, but it wasn't entirely her fault. She didn't even know whether it was a true promise. It could have been her spontaneous will, or maybe his spontaneous will. Maybe they were only caught in the heat of the moment before. Maybe their kissing at the coast of Copenhagen was just his way to satisfy his lust upon her. Or perhaps it she was just being emotional at that moment, so she agreed when he tried to deepen that kiss.

Oh, that was the way Athrun Zala thought about Cagalli Yula Athha. Little he did know that his way of thinking was totally incorrect. It was neither his spontaneous will, nor her spontaneous will. It also wasn't caused by them getting caught in the heat of the moment. Nor was it caused by his lust for her. And she wasn't just being emotional either.

Usually ordinary people would call that big L, big O, big V, and last but not least, big E.

And some romance-novel-addicts would call that T-R-U-E L-O-V-E.

A child who had just caught a stray cat always wanted to take care of it permanently. But in order to do that, the child had to ask his parents whether he could take care of that cat or not. The child left the cat in his backyard, telling it to stay there until he picked it up again. But when the child returned, he found no cat in his backyard it had gone somewhere else.

He was sure he resembled the child, and Cagalli resembled the cat.

He gazed at her, and he knew that her amber eyes were still as beautiful as ever. He even noticed that she was no longer wearing her trousers. She had changed it to a knee length working skirt with the same colour as her blazer. He didn't really mind her change, but somehow, it had told him that there was something different with her. She had changed. She was acting tough and cold, working fast and efficiently. Her eyes held no liveliness to them. She was just like a machine, emotionless yet quick and efficient. He wondered why she became like that. His inner self wanted the old Cagalli back, and his head was full of his thoughts of bringing his old Cagalli back, not until-

"Um, Chairman Zala? Did you get the point-?" The person who sat beside him asked him. Actually, she had asked Athrun twice before, but he didn't hear because he was so busy daydreaming that he couldn't hear anything from his surroundings.

"Ah, sorry, Chairman Minaguchi." He promptly apologized to Chairman Aria Minaguchi, PLANT Administrative Council chairman, "Is it about the borderline crossing law?"

"Yes, Chairman Zala."

In fact, he had been hearing their discussion, but he wasn't paying attention to it. However, his coordinator brain seemed capable of multitasking, so he could freely daydream while listening to their discussion.

He decided to fully concentrate on his work now and to think about other things later, after the meeting.

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ZAFT's new military academy was located at Maius-Three, and Shinn Asuka, along with his wife Lunamaria, was assigned there to train new recruits. They would be at their workplace in about forty five minutes.

Fully dressed with his red coat uniform, Shinn Asuka promptly sat beside his wife, Lunamaria, and he realized that an envelope had been laid on the table.

"It has just come a few minutes ago." Lunamaria, clad in her red coat uniform, but she wore an apron on it, "It's a wedding invitation."

"Huh? Wedding invitation?" Shinn flipped the envelope over and was startled as he saw the two names that had been written there with fancy font. It read, 'Kira Yamato & Lacus Clyne'.

"Commander Yamato?" He said while he opened the envelope, and he found a scented paper with a lot of fancy writings on it. "That Freedom pilot? And Lacus Clyne?" Finally they're going to be married… and it will be held at… Aprilius-One?"

"They're (There is a conjunction for they are. It would be like the conjunction didn't. Short for did not. Same thing here. They are----- They're) even responsible for our transportation and accommodation cost. Did you see the name of that hotel we're going to stay in? It's the most luxurious five star rated hotel at PLANT." Lunamaria added, while she looked for some maple syrup inside the refrigerator.

"Whew, what a surprise." Shinn commented, while Lunamaria placed two pancakes in front of him.

"Your favourite Shinn." She smiled as she sat in front of him, "Pancakes, with fresh blueberries and maple syrup."

"Why, you're being unusual, Luna." Shinn smiled to her as he felt curious at her sudden action, "You never like cooking in the morning. Usually you told me to make toast by myself."

"I've told you Shinn." She smiled, and it was obvious that she was hiding something, "We've got a lot of surprises today. Sugar for your coffee?"

"Thanks Luna." Shinn answered while he let Luna put two teaspoons of sugar into his coffee. "Well, I've acknowledged two of those surprises. First, that wedding invitation-"

"Oh, Shinn, look carefully again at that invitation." She interrupted "It was no ordinary wedding invitation."

"Really?" Shinn opened that envelope again to confirm Luna's saying, and he saw another piece of paper inside it.

It was a meeting announcement regarding the Clyne Faction affairs. He was expected to attend it since it was their first official meeting after the war had ended, and the matters they were going to discuss were extremely serious. Shinn and Lunamaria had joined the Clyne Faction when the second war ended, mostly because their determination for keeping the peace. Another reason they joined that faction was because they both share the same beliefs as Lacus Clyne, as well as Kira Yamato.

"Oh, another surprise." He mumbled and then he inserted it into the enveloped again. He turned to face Lunamaria again, "So, back to the topic. First surprise, Yamato's wedding, and Clyne's meeting. Second surprise was your pancake. And more surprises to go?"

"Well, there is one more actually." Lunamaria smirked "But you have to guess."

"Can't you just tell me, Luna?"

"No, it would be no fun." She grinned while she stuffed some pancake into her mouth.

"Well, I guess I have no choice." Shinn sighed, but then smiled, drizzled some more maple syrup all over his pancake, "But can you give me at least a clue?"

"Sure." Lunamaria smiled "Two stripes. That's the clue. Two stripes."

"Two stripes?" Shinn paused for a while thinking, "Zebra?"

"No, Shinn." Lunamaria chuckled a little, "Second clue, it's about us. Not about zoo animals"

"Oh well, about us…" He paused again, and then he pointed the two stripes at Lunamaria's red coat uniform, "…your military rank stripes, Luna?"

"Oh, well, you're wrong Shinn." Lunamaria smirked again, "It's about us, not about me, not about you."

"Ahh, this is hard Luna." Shinn rubbed his head in curiosity, but then he stopped as he figured out something, "Hey Luna, don't tell me… that… you're…"

"Oh, I think you're almost right, Shinn."

"So, it's true… You're…"

"Two stripes. Definitely positive." Lunamaria smiled widely.

Shinn, who was filled with disbelief, now had changed his face into a rejoiced one shouting, "So I'm going to be a father after all! Yeah!"

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"So, we're going to sign this agreement on Wednesday, shall we?" Cagalli smiled as she stood, "Thank you for your cooperation Chairman Minaguchi, Chairman Zala." She said as she shook her hands with both of them.

"You're welcome Miss Athha." Aria Minaguchi thanked her back "Excuse me, but I have to go now, I have another appointment-"

"Oh, take care." Cagalli waved to her.

As the time elapsed, the room was growing emptier, people had left it one by one, and even Kisaka and Amagi had left before her. So there she was, alone in the conference room, tiding up her documents. Well, she was not alone actually, Athrun Zala was there too, and he had had his documents tidied, he was standing there waiting for another chance to talk to Cagalli privately.

He stared at her but the longer he stared at her the more his mind was no longer able to maintain its stable stance, and chaos had occurred inside his brain.

Absent-mindedly, he grabbed one of Cagalli's hands while she was proceeding to leave the conference room.

"Cagalli, I-" He tried to speak, but Cagalli promptly interrupted him.

"Don't be stupid Athrun." She walked out of the conference room holding her laptop so firmly in her determination. "You know I won't."

"Why?" He tried to enquire her. He didn't believe that she's avoiding him, again. Not after things that had happened at Scandinavia, at the cost of Copenhagen, and their last reunion.

"I just don't want something similar to years ago to happen anymore" fastening her speed she talked to him with cold harsh tone. "And please don't ask further reasons. Ah, and don't kiss me here the same way you did at the coast of Copenhagen, there are a lot of people here waiting for me."

He sure was surprised at her extremely cold behaviour. Her words were crushing him just as a bullet crushes a fragile fragment of glass.

"See you, Chairman Zala." She walked away, once again turning her back to him.

Was it a revenge she wanted? He had left her once, or twice, maybe. She still didn't believe him. Although he was assigned at Orb permanently and she could met him everyday if she wanted, and it was also obvious that she was still deeply in love with him, no, she didn't want to repeat the same mistake twice. She believed his promise twice, and got betrayed by him twice.

'_I just want you to know Athrun,'_ she thought while she glanced at him again, silently, with a sad look on her amber eyes, _'it's hard to keep a promise. However, I only can promise you one thing, I will love you forever. But it doesn't mean that I will be with you forever. Just let it flow, okay? I'm sorry saying to say that to you, but'_ she left that building, still lost in her thoughts, _'somehow, for me, it will take a lot of time to give a second chance to you.'_

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"Kira, which one is better?"

"I don't know Lacus, I can't decide, both of them are marvellous."

"I think so too. I can't choose either. Would it be terribly awkward if we use both of them?"

"I'm sorry Lacus, but… I really really can't choose between these two."

"Me either. Then how should we solve this?"

"Let's just call Athrun. I think he's got some taste in this kind of stuff."

"Great idea Kira."

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Everyone who worked at PLANT Diplomatic Council for Orb Building would have been realized that their newly elected chairman named Athrun Zala was in a bad mood. In fact, he had been in that kind of mood since the meeting with the Orb Chief Representative. Fortunately, nobody knew what happened between the two of them and he could lose in his mind as long as he wanted to. Even though he was indeed in a bad mood, he didn't do anything wrong. He didn't scold anyone pointlessly or what not, he just didn't feel like doing it. Besides it was only his second day at Orb and he was the newbie there so at least he should make a good impression to all of them. He wasn't interested in anything but his work. When his working hours ended, he left his office without saying anything, and then he drove to his assigned house.

His assigned house was quite big, although it was half the size of Athha Manor, but he didn't care about the size of the house as long as he had a place to stay. He wouldn't mind any type of house at all.

The moment he entered his house, he heard his phone was ringing. When one of his servants was about to pick up the phone, he asked, "Who is it?"

He looked into the small screen beside the phone and answered. "Kira Yamato, Sir."

"Let me pick it myself." He walked faster in order to reach the phone in time, and when he reached it, he pushed a button and said, "Yo, Kira."

"Hello, Athrun." Kira said from the other side, "We need your help for choosing something, but before that, can you switch into video phone?"

"No problem." He put down the handset while his other hand pressed another button, and suddenly the screen before him turned on and Athrun could see Kira sat there facing the screen.

Athrun sat before the screen and asked, "So, what's the matter?"

"Umm, well, it's no big deal really, but-" Kira changed his expression, "-you sure look gloomy today. What's wrong?"

"Nothing important." He answered while smiling trying to lie to Kira. "Maybe I'll tell you later."

"Okay" Kira nodded, "Actually, we want you to choose between-" and then he showed Athrun two pictures "-these."

Athrun, who was confused at his best friend's behaviour, asked, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, as you can see, these are the options for our wedding reception decoration theme. Lacus and I like both of them and we couldn't choose which one we should use. So, I'm asking you to help us a bit Athrun."

Athrun raised an eyebrow and then he asked, "You paid a long distance video call from Aprilius to Onogoro just for this?"

"Well, just answer, no objections, okay? It's me who's paying after all."

"Yeah, I know, but, just for this?" Athrun repeated his sentence again, showing his amazement. "You sure have loads of money Kira. Just look at the hotel you've chosen for us to stay-"

"I said no objections, Athrun." Kira interrupted him, trying to get their arguments over. "Just choose between these two."

"Okay" Athrun replied, while he wondered about some things he was thinking about, especially about his best friend who suddenly became one of some richest people at PLANT. Moreover, he will wed the fifth richest and most influential woman of the entire world, Lacus Clyne. If they combined their accounts, Athrun couldn't really imagine how much money the total sum was.

He examined those two pictures carefully, and after a few seconds of thinking, he answered, "I think the picture on the left is better."

"Really?" Kira's amethyst eyes gleamed in relief. "But which left? Your left or mine?"

"Yours." Athrun hesitantly replied, "Seriously Kira, why it is so hard for you to choose between these two?"

"Well, I don't know, maybe both of them really look good, so we can't choose."

"Whatever." Athrun rolled his eyes, but suddenly his expression changed. "Hey Kira, how's the wedding preparation?"

"It's almost done, and you'll be our best man, right?"

"Sure" Athrun replied, "And after your marriage, are you going to stay at Aprilius-One or…"

"Well, actually, I'll move to Aprilius-Two." Kira answered giving him a sheepish smile. "Lacus definitely can't move to Aprilius-One, so I'm the one who will move. It's not a problem, my superiors have permitted me to do my work at Aprilius-Two, and they were really tolerant I guess. Or perhaps it's because of Lacus' influence and charm, ha ha."

"I see." Athrun nodded.

"So Athrun, you haven't answered my question from before." Kira glared naughtily at him, "Why do you look so gloomy today, Athrun?"

"Huh?" Athrun pretend to look surprised, and then lied, "Nothing in particular Kira. Today's just the same as before."

"Oh really?" Kira smirked, "Well, you've been grinning to yourself like a fool these past few days, and today, you look terribly gloomy. Something unpleasant must have happened today."

"No." Athrun shook his head.

"I see." Kira smiled mischievously, "Was your meeting with Cagalli ended that badly?"

"Kira!" Athrun shouted in surprise and disbelieve. "How did you know?"

"Well, it's easy, it's written all over your face." Kira waved his hands upwards and downwards, as strange gesture though, "So tell me, Athrun. Did she slap you? Or was she mad at you? Or did she give you the cold shoulder?"

Athrun sighed, and then answered, "The third."

"I see." Kira nodded as he rubbed his chin, thinking. After a few seconds he said, "Actually, I have no right to butt into your personal life, but-", Kira gave Athrun a serious look, "If you want to know the reason she behaved like that, I have one simple suggestion for you."

"What is it?"

"Well, if you want to understand her, umm… How should I say this, I haven't found the right words." Kira tapped his index finger on his forehead, and suddenly he faced the screen and said, "I know. If you want to understand her, just think like her. I mean, you should think with her point of view. Well, that's my advice for you. I don't know if it's useful, but this is as much I can help."

"Uhh, thanks." Athrun thanked him, although he didn't really understand what Kira had advised him to do.

"Ah, I have to go, Lacus is waiting for me." Kira smiled and waved his hand upon the screen, "See you later Athrun."

"See you Kira."

And the line was cut off, leaving Athrun thinking hard about what Kira had said to him.

* * *

**Author's note**: Thanks for reading my fic… I'm so amazed that this fic was a bit longer than I expected… All kinds of reviews are welcome! Flames are welcome too, but honestly I prefer useful critics ;) Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing! I LUV U GUYS!!!

Man... After Accounting, there's still Law and Civic Education homework... Not to mention Japanese... :P

Special thanks to My Lord Jesus Christ, without him, I wouldn't be able to reach this far. And also I wouldn't be able to finish my homeworks. THANKS GOD!!!!

And thanks to my reviewers.


	17. Gomenasai First Part

**DISCLAIMER : It's simple. I don't own GS and GSD.**

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**And also to my family and friends.**

* * *

_**Chapter Seventeen**__**: Gomenasai –First Part-**_

It had been three days since the PLANT-Orb Borderline agreement had been signed. She had no reason to see him again. She was relieved and satisfied with herself. She told herself she wouldn't break down in front of him, and she didn't.

But somehow, it had torn her into two major parts. The first Cagalli still truly missed Athrun, and wanted to be in his embrace once more, while the second Cagalli didn't want to put her trust in him yet again and wanted to move on, living separately. It wasn't that he was the only guy in the world. Well, actually, he wasn't but, Cagalli had never been so attracted to a guy. Not to mention he was on the 'most-wanted-person-at-PLANT' list, and he was quite rich too, although Kira appeared to be richer than him at the moment.

She realized that she had never met any guy who was richer and more handsome than him. There were a lot of guys with more money, but they are not handsome; The Prince of Scandinavia included. And there were a lot of handsome guys, but they were not rich and most of them are totally empty-headed, which definitely wasn't her type.

Knowing her situation she was grateful being born as a natural because if she was a coordinator she was expected to be married by the age of eighteen or nineteen. Luckily she was a natural, so it was quite common to stay single by the age of twenty.

She worked in her office and enjoyed the pleasure of working. She didn't want to think about Athrun at that moment for some reason. She was a bit uncertain about their relationship, and she was a bit reluctant to place her trust in him again.

So she did her work diligently, trying to avoid those thoughts and those sweet-yet-painful memories. Those memories always tried to change her mind into a small theatre, and replayed those memories just like a soap opera and she didn't want that to happen. It took a lot of time to return her mind from mini-sweet-memory-theatre-mode into her usual working-mode. She didn't want to waste her time with such thoughts. To her every second was very important for the benefit of her country. So she didn't mind spending every second of her life trying to bring her country a better future. Besides, according to her, working was the best escape from the unpleasant truth about her love life.

But unfortunately, neither fate nor destiny allowed her to do her usual work with full concentration, so they distracted her by a phone call she didn't even wished to receive.

She sighed, wondering who it will be and immediately picked it up.

"Cagalli Yula Athha here." She said.

"Hello, Cagalli."

Suddenly she felt as if the world stopped spinning and her heart stopped beating. She could barely breathe for a few milliseconds as she heard that voice. It was a voice that she would always realize and the one she could never forget. That sonorous voice was very familiar to her, and in some way, it had caused a terrible chaos in her mind.

Hearing her silence, the person on the other line replied, "Cagalli, it's me, Athrun."

Actually, she had known that the caller was Athrun, it was just she didn't expect him to call her, so Cagalli, bewildered in her surprise, couldn't say anything or even reply to him.

"I know." She finally could gather some power and stability to talk to him again. "What's the matter Athrun?"

Even though it was a voice call, not a video call, he could reckon that she was wearing her stoic expression again. And somehow her plain voice, although it contained no sadness, happiness, or anger, had hurt him yet again.

"Cagalli," He paused for a few milliseconds. "We need to talk."

So her suspicions were right after all. He was still after her, even after knowing that she didn't want to continue their relationship.

"I've told you before Athrun." She replied with cold tone. "We have nothing between us."

"But-" He seemed a bit hurt with her defensive statement. "-I don't care. Cagalli, we need to talk. About us."

"I'm busy Athrun." She told him. "And I'm pretty sure that you're busy too."

"You're right." He replied, "But would you mind if it's just an hour or less?"

At this rate she had no choice but to give up, and do as he pleased.

Athrun was sure he heard a heavy sigh from her before finally she replied saying, "Fine Athrun. I'll talk to you, but for no longer than an hour. When and where?"

Devastated by her stern attitude and behavior, he quickly mentioned the name of the place he wanted them to meet and also that he wanted to meet her after work, precisely at six o'clock.

Shortly after she noted that, she promptly said good bye and cut the line off, leaving him in terrible uneasiness.

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"So Lacus, today is Friday, why don't we spend our weekend together here? Besides, you like shopping at Aprilius-One right? And I know a good newly built restaurant."

"Great idea Kira." She answered, looking at the screen. Lacus and Kira were having a video call conversation.

"Which shuttle are you going to take?" Kira asked.

"Well, maybe the six o'clock shuttle…"

"Okay" Kira smiled "I'll pick you up right on time."

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"Anna, I'm leaving now." Cagalli took her documents and her hand held laptop.

Her secretary, Anna, bewilderedly asked, "This early Cagalli-sama?"

"Well, I rarely go home this early." She smiled, trying to mock herself. "You can go home now."

"Actually, I planned to finish my tasks before weekend, so… I think I'll go home after seven o'clock Cagalli-sama."

"Okay good luck, Anna." She walked outside the room and then called out, "And tell the driver that today I'm driving by myself."

"Alright Cagalli-sama."

"Well, sorry for leaving before you." Cagalli waved at her and then walked away with a lot of thoughts swirling in her head. She tried hard not to think about it but she failed. No matter how hard she had tried. Knowing that, she had let her mind wander, since she could do nothing about it.

Finally, she reached the parking lot at Orb Parliament Building and she found out the whereabouts of her car.

Unlike other politicians who had more than three cars she only had two. The first one was used for working purposes, which can carry more people than the other one. She usually travelled with her secretary, her bodyguards, Kisaka or Amagi. The second car was her personal car and in reality, she rarely used it. Usually, she drove this car by herself, and used it only for personal matters. It was definitely smaller than the first one.

Although she seldom used that car, that day she decided to drive herself to the place where they promised to meet.

'_Even that purple-haired-Seiran-monkey had five luxurious cars_. _What a waste of national budget.' _She thought while walking to her car.

As she unlocked it she suddenly smiled to herself. She remembered when she was still fifteen and her father forbade her to drive alone, and she ignored it, resulting in her being punished by her father. She was twenty now and when she recalled her teenage years, she found out that her rebellious attitude was rather silly and a bit stupid. She also wondered how her father could handle a disobedient teenager like her.

She started the engine and she left that building half-heartedly because of her complicated feelings.

She kept driving along the road, while she was still trying hard not to let her thoughts conquere her mind, until finally, she arrived there.

She glanced at her watch and when she found out that she wasn't late, she smiled a little, giving herself a reward for coming on time.

Unfortunately, soon after that, she realized that there weren't any space left for her to park her car. And if she wanted to park her car she had to park it at another building, which was quite far from her real destination.

"Shit" She murmured while she turned into the other side of the road. "I have to walk about one hundred and fifty metres to reach that café. Why it's so crowded today?"

But then she recalled that it was Friday, and people probably wanted to enjoy their weekend a bit earlier. She sighed and then parked her car at some vacant lot and got out of her car while her hand push some button on the car key to lock it securely.

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"Ooohh… It's soooo peaceful, Commander Joule." Dearka spoke to his friend in a mocking manner. "Friday is soooooooooooooo peaceful."

"Cut it out, Dearka." Yzak replied harshly at his subordinate. "I know that you're just depressed with the fact that weekend is close and you still don't have anyone to date."

"Whatever, Yzak."

After the reshuffle at PLANT, Yzak and Dearka were no longer assigned at December City but were assigned at Aprilius-One, along with Kira.

"I hate Fridays and Saturdays." Dearka murmured.

Along their way they met some people and all of them were with their girlfriends, fiancé/fiancée, or their spouse. Although there were some people who appeared to be single, most of them are taken. Take Kira for example. The moment they met, they could see that he had been grinning stupidly and was in an incredibly good mood, perhaps because he would meet his fiancée that day, and he was going to spend his weekend together with her.

'_Even that Yzak-jerk already has a fiancée.'_ He thought, although it was arranged by his mother.

The reason why Dearka was still single was because after Miriallia had dumped him, he had been dating as many girls as he could but he found no girls that could attract him the way she did.

So he just remained single until he could win her heart back.

And, well, he envied Athrun a lot. He was assigned at Orb, and his girl was in Orb too. It would be a little easier to crawl back to Cagalli. But Dearka was assigned at Aprilius, and he was sure that it would be difficult to win Miriallia's heart again with that much of distance.

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"Sorry, I'm a bit late." She rushed to where he was sitting and promptly sat in front of him. Athrun had been there for a few minutes and when she finally arrived he smiled in relief knowing that she wasn't going to avoid him any longer.

"It's okay." He smiled, "It's only two or three minutes, Cagalli."

She realized that Athrun had chosen a place near the window. She smiled because of it. She knew that his preference for choosing places was still the same as before. He liked gazing through the window, watching pedestrians and cars passing by. It was a little amusement for him.

"Have you been waiting here for long?" She asked him. "Sorry, but the parking lots around have no more vacant space so…"

"I know. I asked the one whose on duty, and he told me that it has been like that since this morning." He replied.

After that a waiter appeared before them and took their orders. She ordered a cup of caramel macchiato, which was her favourite. He knew that her preference was still the same as before. But her attitude, behavior and the gleam of her eyes had changed so much since the last time he met her at Copenhagen.

He stared at her and he found out that perhaps time had changed her, she was twenty now, of course she had become more matured and became less impulsive than before. But the weird thing was she also lost her vividness and she rarely showed her true feelings in front of the others, Athrun included. Her smile was just a mere fake smile and although she appeared to be cheerful, he knew that she wasn't happy inside. It was like her true self was barricaded with huge invisible defensive walls, and no one could penetrate or destroy it.

Athrun himself was trying to penetrate it.

"Um…" He tried to begin their conversation since he knew that she didn't want their talk take too much time. "…I want to ask you something, Cagalli."

"Go ahead." She replied, stirring her drink after she added half teaspoon of extra sugar to it, "That's why we are here, aren't we?"

Athrun nodded, and then he continued, "Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you." She replied, looking straight into his emerald eyes. "It's just I'm tired of this."

Her direct gaze was cold and distant, and it had hurt his heart more. However, he had been prepared to face even the most painful truth about her. Unfortunately, he didn't know that as she gazed directly into his eyes and saying that phrase, she was also being crushed from inside. He didn't know that she was hurting herself.

"So-?"

"Just like what I have said before." She replied, but then she stopped and took a sip of her drink. "I want us to live our lives separately, Athrun."

She said that phrase again, the phrase he had feared the most. He had come all the way from Sextilis to Onogoro, yet he still had to swallow the most painful truth he had ever known.

"Is that it, Cagalli?" He was unable to construct any other words than that. Strange, he was supposed to have better intelligence than a natural, but he couldn't force his coordinator brain to make another better phrase or sentences.

She nodded, and then continued, "We have to move on, Athrun."

Her demand was piercing his heart even more. He still didn't get it why she wanted a break up, he knew that she still had her feelings for him, yet she insisted on her demand. Now he was inadequate, he didn't have any courage left to ask the reason she wanted to break up. Instead of asking why, he only asked, "We just didn't met for three or four weeks, and why you have changed so much?"

She smiled, and it was a plain, void smile. "I don't know it either. Perhaps because I'm getting older and yeah, maybe I'm getting wiser too. Just like an old saying, the older, the wiser."

He just nodded and smiled at her statement, he was sure that she was lying. He could tell. But he could do nothing about it. It was her decision, and he had no other choice but to do it her way.

She always tried to maintain her stability, but as she did so, she hurt herself more. However, she didn't mind. She didn't want anyone to penetrate her defensive walls anymore. Because when she put her trust into someone, she had to prepare herself to be betrayed. And she had had enough betrayal in her lifetime. She wanted betrayals no more.

"I see." He replied to her, and she could tell that there was a lot of disappointment in his voice.

Little did he know that the truth was she wasn't prepared to be with him again. First, she was surprised by his being assigned at Orb. That meant that she would see him often, and seeing him hurt her more.

Their meeting at Copenhagen was an exception. She thought that it would be their last reunion, so she decided to follow her feelings and instincts, satisfying her longing heart.

But continuing her relationship with him for a long period?

The answer was a big fat no. She couldn't stand to be betrayed again. It is true that she still had her feelings for him, but she didn't trust him anymore. She feared that even if she trusted him once more, their responsibilities and duties would separate them again.

He looked at her, and unconsciously, he still realized her hidden charm inside those defensive walls of hers, and how he was astonished by it. Her amber eyes were as beautiful as ever, and as the time elapsed, they are becoming more beautiful, he could tell. But her eyes no longer held the liveliness they once had. She did it on purpose though. Politicians aren't expected to show their emotions so openly and she was one of them. Hiding her emotions and being expressionless had sure helped her a lot and she could overwhelm her political rivals which were years older than her easily.

She gazed through the window beside them, and suddenly she realized that the sky's color had changed from clear blue into deep gray. It was obvious that in a few minutes, rain would pour down and shower the whole Onogoro Island.

"Oh damn, it's going to rain." She scowled. "Well, I'm afraid I have to leave now. I parked my car rather far from here, so I have to walk about 150 meters to reach it. And I have to leave now unless I want to get soaked…"

"Really?" Athrun replied her, and his face showed some kind of disappointment, mostly caused by her stern attitude. "I parked my car a bit far from here too, so should we walk together?"

She gave him nothing in reply but a small simple nod.

He promptly called the waitress, and as he paid their bill with his credit card he couldn't help not looking at her. He found out that she didn't mind him to pay for her bill which was a bit unusual.

She was just tired of being herself though.

After he had finished the payment process he proceeded to leave that café followed by Cagalli.

"Hey Athrun," She called "Thanks for the treat."

"You're welcome." He replied. "Do you want to cross the street?"

"Yeah, I parked my car on the other side of the road."

"Then we should wait here until the traffic light turns green."

She nodded. He glanced at her, realizing that she was totally expressionless and she showed no emotions on her face.

He sighed. He was disappointed in his failure not to be able to penetrate her invisible defensive walls. But he had to break his gaze because the light had turned green and it was their turn to cross the street. The street they were crossing was quite wide. Unfortunately, the moment they started crossing the street, the rain suddenly poured three times harder than before, and the wind blew so hard and cold.

"Damn" She scowled, although it was a bit unclear thanks to the sound of the rain. "Let's take shelter under that enormous tree."

"Okay." He replied.

She ran to the tree and the moment she reached it, she was a bit wet already. He reached that tree a few seconds after her did and was as wet as her.

The tree was quite enormous and thankfully there was no one else there, just the two of them. They sky was getting darker and darker and also, colder.

"The rain seems to get harder and harder." She murmured while observing her attire to find out which part was terribly wet, fortunately it was just a little wet.

She was able to maintain her stability for longer, but he couldn't.

"Cagalli, why are you so importunate?" He asked that question finally, after he had gathered his remaining courage.

"I'm not like that Athrun." She replied coldly, even colder than the air around them. "I'm just demanding a break up. Isn't it obvious?"

His mind was going crazy and it had caused him to lose himself. He couldn't stand her stern and stoic attitude. And he could barely think again before he acted, he could just follow his will. Absent-mindedly he stood before her and then faced her, eye to eye. He touched her cheek with one of his hands, and then he kissed her lips for a short while. Surprisingly, she didn't do anything about it. She didn't push him, but she didn't react to his kiss either. She didn't reply it, and she didn't even close her eyes. To him, it felt just like kissing a statue.

She remained silent for a few seconds leaving him in curiosity before finally she spoke something.

"Are you satisfied yet, Athrun Zala?" She asked sardonically. "For your information, I'm not your personal call girl that you can kiss or hug anytime you wanted to."

Terribly startled by her reply he tried to say something, but before he could do it she cancelled it by her sudden action.

She slapped him hard on his face, leaving stinging pain on his cheek.

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**Author's note:** Guys! I'm dead tired! Been studying for hours… This is the better version of chapter 17. Enjoy. Thanks to SamuraiGirl7 coz without her I won't be posting the better version :D And don't blame me about Cagalli's being cold at Athrun. Just wait for the chptr18. After posting chapter 18 I think I won't be able to post chapter 19 in a week due to my overwhelming activities. So don't blame me again for the slow update.

_Gomenasai: Sorry_

Thank you for reading (and reviewing :p) lol. God bless you always.


	18. Gomenasai Second Part

**DISCLAIMER : I hate to admit this but… Gundam SEED (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED) and Gundam SEED Destiny (Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny) is none of my properties, including the characters, I don't own them (although I hope I do ). It is fan's duty to mess up with the story and characters. **

**Special thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance **

**No bad grammars :p thanks to my friend SamuraiGirl7 :) hehe.**

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_Previously on __Gomenasai -First Part-:_

_Absent-mindedly, he stood before her, and then faced her, eye to eye. He touched her cheek with one of his hands, and then he kissed her lips for a short while._

_Surprisingly, she didn't do anything about it. She didn't push him, but she didn't react to his kiss too. She didn't reply it, and she didn't even close her eyes. To him, it felt just like kissing a statue._

_She remained silent for a few seconds, leaving him in curiosity, before finally she spoke something._

"_Have you satisfied yet, Athrun Zala?" she asked sardonically, "For your information, I'm not your personal call girl that you can kiss or hug anytime you wanted to"_

_Terribly startled at her reply, he tried to say something, but before he could do it, she cancelled it by her sudden action._

_She slapped him hard on his face, leaving stinging pain on his cheek._

**-----------**

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_**Chapter Eighteen**__**: Gomenasai -Second Part-**_

She slapped him as hard as she could and it would probably leave a purplish bruise on his face the next morning.

She was being so sardonic that it had extremely stunned him.

He didn't know what to say, and he didn't expect her to behave like that.

At that moment, she had already abandoned her stoic and stern look. Her amber eyes were filled with emotion, but he was sure that those emotions weren't a happy one. It was a mixture of devastation, sadness, anger and disappointment.

"Cagalli…?"

"Oh, Athrun, honestly you're a pain in the neck." She showed her rage to him. "You've been asking me the same questions for the whole day. You said that I'm not being myself. FINE! I'll tell you, I'm not being myself. YES YOU'RE RIGHT! I've changed. But now I'm returning to my old self, and don't blame me for that, because I want to be an egoist too! I'm really tired of this, you know!"

Her words had struck his mind as if a lightning struck a plain land, and he could barely speak to her. She was terribly angry, and the subject of her anger was him.

He wanted to say something but his tongue felt like it was tied, and his mouth was locked so he could say nothing in reply.

She paused for a while, taking a deep breath, and then continued.

"If you're asking me why I wanted a break up, fine, I'll answer it honestly." She said, and then she pointed her index finger to his chest, touching it softly but no matter how soft it was, it had opened the guilt in his heart again. "It's all because I'm tired of this stuff! Satisfied!!??"

While being enveloped in the coldness of their surroundings both of them remained silent for a while. Her thoughts had torn him apart, and now he knew the reason why she had been avoiding him. It seemed that both of them were opening the old wounds inside their hearts. They didn't even know that at that time, they were crushing themselves.

He didn't know that behind her rage, she was terribly torn apart. And even though she didn't cry, her heart cried out loudly in pain. She couldn't stand to have that feeling again.

"Forget it." She turned her back to him and walked away. "I'm going home."

She didn't care if the rain hadn't stopped and if she would be soaked from head to toe by the rain. All she wanted was to get away from him, seeing him would hurt her, and she didn't want it to happen again.

But after she had taken a few steps, she felt someone grabbed her hand.

"Cagalli, I-"

"DON'T TRY REASON WITH ME!" She yelled at him while freeing her hand by force and continued, "I don't want to see you any more! Why don't you just go back to Meyrin, huh? I'm sure she'll welcome you happily-"

He stood before her. The rain soaked them wet from head-to-toe, but neither of them cared about it. All she wanted was to leave him, yet all he wanted was for her to be with him once more.

"Cagalli, listen, I'm just-"

"I don't want to hear it Athrun." She interrupted him and continued walking away. "If you think that you can control everything with that reasoning of yours, you're wrong. I'm going home."

She let herself walked under the pouring rain. She was soaked, but didn't care that she might get sick. She just wanted to leave that place as fast as she could.

He was standing there, as stiff as a statue, and her words had caused chaos in his mind. His guilt was crushing him from the inside, causing severe pain in his heart.

He was such a jerk.

But he had made up his mind. He wasn't going to let her go without saying anything to her. So he gathered his remaining courage and went after her not caring the possibility that she might yell or slap him again.

It didn't matter.

He ran after her, and with his current speed, he could easily catch up with her and when he did, he stood before her, prevent her from walking further.

"Cagalli, at least you should-"

But before he finished talking to her, she quickly pushed him as hard as she could, shouting, "Just leave me alone!"

"Then give me the reason why, Cagalli." He grabbed one of her hands causing her to stop her steps.

"Oh, you want reasons? Have I told you that I'm tired of this, huh?" She answered more mordantly than before. "And now you want us together again? This is ridiculous, Athrun. I'm fine if it is only for one or two weeks like our reunion at Copenhagen. But for a long period? No."

Athrun just stood stiff, but still holding her hand.

"Cagalli" He said, walking closer to her. "Forgi-"

"Please, Athrun." She stopped before him standing still, her voice was very weak. It seemed that she had no strength left to continue their argument. However, she cursed herself for being such a fool. She knew that she still loved him, but she didn't dare to take the risks of trusting him again. She feared that something might go wrong and separate them the same as before. She was unable to believe in their bond to each other.

Her words had made him realize something.

"Two years ago-" She said to him with a sad and weak tone, her eyes filled with sadness. "-you still remember what happened two years ago, am I correct?"

Her words were dug into him.

"Athrun, I am the Princess of Orb." She continued with a sad and desperate tone, "I'm not going to mention our status differences but you should've known what kind of life I'm forced to live."

She paused for a moment while she tried to construct every word she was going to say and gathering all of her memories most of which were the bitter ones.

"Two years ago, you left Orb, re-assigned to ZAFT-" She said while trying to hold her sadness deep inside her hearts, trying to sound so tough and strong whereas she was hurt terribly inside. "-I didn't mind you doing that. I know exactly how you felt back then and I was really, really glad when you give me that ring. At that time, I hoped that everything would turn out fine and that nothing would go wrong, but it didn't."

She glanced back at Athrun and from that, he could see the sadness that was shown inside her amber eyes. He had ever seen her weak side before, but truly, he had never seen her that desperate and sad. The fact that she tried to hide her sadness and sufferings behind her pride and also her stoic attitude had hurt him more, making him feel even guiltier.

"You really knew what happened after that, didn't you?" She continued talking, but her tone was unsteady. "When you weren't around, I was forced to marry Yuuna. I know that I was wrong to do so. I know that I could have abandoned my country and fled to anywhere else, but-" She sighed, "-I can't. At that time, I thought that marrying him would be good for Orb. I had to make a choice, you or Orb. I chose Orb."

Athrun walked closer to her and she didn't run away from him. She knew that Athrun was approaching her, but she did nothing about it. Her mind was cloudy and she was thinking how she would explain her feelings to Athrun. She knew that even though the reminiscences of their love were inextinguishable, those feelings would only hurt them more. She was tired, terribly tired of opposing their destiny.

"I didn't know that I had chosen the wrong decision back then, for that reason, I really thanked Kira for kidnapping me. I know I was being idiotic for marrying Yuuna. I was confused; I didn't even know what to do. But at our meeting two years ago at the island of Crete-" She paused, thinking about her feelings at that time.

After Kira had returned the ring to her, she couldn't help herself not to cry. She realized that she had betrayed Athrun, and betrayed her country too. Her days at Archangel, even though they were peaceful and the people there were very friendly to her, she always longed for the one person she treasured the most. She really missed him although she never mentioned it to anyone. She always kept her sadness and feelings to herself. She always appeared to be a tough person but in reality she wasn't. She was torn apart into pieces whenever she thought about him.

At the time when Kira told her that Miriallia had arranged a secret meeting for the three of them, she was really glad. She had longed for him for months and wanted to see his smile again. She didn't mind if the meeting would only last for one or two minutes. For her, if he smiled at her for even only five seconds, it would erase her months longing for him.

But the reality was different from her hope. The moment they met at the island of Crete, he was so cold and distant. Surprisingly, his cold and sarcastic glare was dedicated to her. She was speechless when he yelled at her and when he cruelly turned her back upon her. Tears already filled her eyes but she didn't want to cry in front of Kira, so she pretended to be tough. She hid her tears from everybody. She never wanted them to know her true feelings.

"-you knew it really well, Athrun." She continued, her voice trembling. She was ready to cry, her tears would roll down her cheeks whenever she allowed herself to do so. But she didn't, so she took a long, deep breath to calm herself and then continued.

"At the island of Crete, your words had hurt me." She paused trying to regain her stability. "I knew that I was wrong, that's why I didn't say anything. You are right. I am the one who should be blamed for marrying Yuuna and betraying you."

"Cagalli, I don't blame you for that." He walked closer to her. "I know that you had no choice back then-"

"And then I realized something Athrun." She continued turning to him with a sad yet cold glare. "We hurt each other. I had hurt you, and then you hurt me"

"Cagalli," He called her name. "I'm sorry for that-"

"It's not your fault." She replied ignoring his exclamation. "It is mine. And then when you returned to Archangel, even though we had forgiven each other, I was forced to choose between you and Orb, again. I chose Orb."

Grasping the sadness from her voice, he felt a slight desire to pull her into his embrace but he didn't dare to do it. She was so distant, cold, frightening yet feeble.

"I will always choose Orb Athrun. Even though my decision will hurt me more, if it's beneficial to Orb, I'll take it." She continued weakly, "I will leave you if I need to. Why can't you understand that?"

Every word from her had no effects for him. Instead of leaving her, he had abandoned all of his worry, and then he embraced her from her behind.

"No, Athrun. Don't hold me like this."

"Why?"

"Please. Stop this." She said with more unstable voice than before. "Why don't you give up? Don't you realize that if we're together, we'll hurt ourselves more? You know that Orb is my top priority, and I will leave you if I need to?"

"I know that."

"Then why?" She asked desperately and weakly. "I've hurt you once. You too have hurt me once. We hurt each other due to our responsibilities."

"I know."

"Then answer me, Athrun. Why? Don't you know that every time I was forced to take a decision that will hurt you, I was hurt too? Don't you know the moment I was forced to marry Yuuna, I was so sad that I even thought of ending my life? I was so scared! If I was about to spend my whole lifetime with someone, then it should have been you! Don't you know that every time I hurt you, my heart aches too?"

He wanted to say something to comfort her, to tell her that he was sorry, but he couldn't. He knew that he had made so many mistakes that even if he pleaded for forgiveness, he didn't deserve it. Instead of saying something, he pulled her into his embrace more tightly, trying to express his mixed up feelings.

"I don't want to hurt you again, Athrun." She continued. "That's why I want to end this, because if we're together we will only hurt each other. You should have known the situation isn't as easy as it appears to be. Perhaps the situation would be the same as two years ago. Perhaps I will hurt you again. And maybe you will hurt me again, like what you did two years ago. For that reason, I beg you for the last time, Athrun, please, let us end this once and for all. I don't want to hurt you again. And also, I don't want to get hurt again either."

After a few seconds of total silence between the two of them he replied, "Don't you know that whenever we are apart I was hurt too, Cagalli?"

Silence was her reply.

"We both were wrong at that time. Heck, we blamed each other." He continued placing his head on her shoulder feeling her presence.

"I'm tired Athrun. I'm so tired that I even thought that I should have killed you at the island four years ago. Or that you should have killed me first."

"Cagalli, will you listen to what I have to say?" He requested calmly yet sadly.

She gave him a simple nod as a reply.

"I was so wrong." He started. "I have done many terrible things to you. So many that I don't deserve forgiveness. If I say to you that I'm sorry, I'm not sure that you'll forgive me for what I have done to you…"

He paused for a while and then continued, "But if I could ask something of you, I would ask for a second chance. I want to heal the wounds in your heart and I want to prove to you that my feelings towards you are sincere, Cagalli."

Hearing his words, she wasn't able to hold her tears back any longer. Tears started to roll down her cheeks the moment she grasped the meaning between his words and she didn't even know how she was supposed to feel. She didn't know whether she was supposed to be happy or sad, relieved or mad at him. Her heart throbbed in pain. He had broken her defensive walls which was the last thing she wanted to happen. She didn't even make an effort to wipe her tears like she usually did. She simply let them roll down her cheeks and be washed by the raindrops.

"Why now Athrun?" She asked softly and weakly. Her voice seemed to be suppressed by the sound of the heavy raindrops. "Why after all this time? Do you know what kind of life I'm forced to live during these years?"

"I-"

"Forgive me for saying that I'm unable to believe in 'us' again, Athrun." She said coldly.

After a few seconds of silence he continued, "I don't want to hurt the person I treasure the most again, Cagalli. I don't want to hurt you anymore. So I beg you for the last time, please give me another chance to prove to you that you are the person I treasure the most in my life."

She sighed after hearing his statement, and then her mind went crazy. Half of her wanted to believe in him once more, but the other half wanted to re-build her defensive walls and desert him, living their lives separately, and not believing him. She was really torn apart years ago, and the wounds inside her heart had forced her to numb her feelings and become a cold person.

"Will you give me another second chance, Cagalli?"

Smiling bitterly, she placed both of her hands on his and then she released his grip upon her very gently, as if she was trying to tell him that it was all over for now. She then turned to him, giving him a sad, bitter smile. Raising one of her hands, she touched his face and opened her mouth to give him a reply.

"What if I say that it's already too late?" She said caressing his cheek with one of her hands while she set a bitter smile on her face. He gazed at her and found that her eyes were a bit red. Judging from her eyes, he knew that she cried, it was just he didn't see it thanks to the raindrops.

He placed one of his hands on hers asking, "Am I that unforgivable?"

"Perhaps" She said while she lowered her hands from his face and let him hold them. "So unforgivable that I want to hate you with all that I am."

"Then hate me if it can make you happy." He said, "I don't if mind you hate me as long as you can smile sincerely again… as long as you're happy with it."

"I wanted to." She replied, she looked downwards to hide her tears and crying face from Athrun, "I do want to hate you. But I can't. I know that things would be easier for me if I could just hate you to the core but the problem is, I can't. No matter how hard I urge myself to hate you, I still can't do it."

"I'm sorry, Cagalli."

"Is that true?" She asked with a trembling voice. It was for her who had been hurt and had hurt him countless times. "You don't mind if I hurt you again?"

"I don't mind." He replied, "I don't mind being hurt by you, nor do I want you to be mine. I just want to prove to you that I regretted hurting you and I want to heal the wounds inside your heart no matter what the costs. I want to be by your side again, protecting you, keeping our promises four years ago-"

"-we're just a couple of naïve and stupid teenagers back then, yet you still believe in such a promise?"

"A promise is a promise, no matter how naïve and stupid it sounds." He said, pulling her closer to him again. "Even though things had to turn out like this, I still want to revive our broken promise and staying by your side to protect you and heal the wounds inside your heart."

She gave no answer in reply and silently but steadily let the time elapse. Both of them were wet from head to toe, soaked by the rain, but neither of them cared about it. All he wanted was her to be with him once more. He was responsible for the wounds inside her heart. He wanted to prove to her that he was serious, he wasn't going to betray her another time and he wanted to see her smile again.

"Athrun-" She said, "-do you know that I'm tired? I'm tired of hiding my true self, tired of not being myself for these years… I'm tired of not being able to trust anybody…"

Athrun nodded and the moment she saw his nodding at her she continued, "Are we about to trust each other again?"

"Yes, if you want to-"

"Thank you"

"Why did you say 'thank you'?" He asked with a relieved smile and he pulled her closer to him, placing her inside his warm embrace, and holding her tightly. "Shouldn't I be the one who to say that?"

"Stupid"

"Thank you"

"Don't say thank you, stupid." She said while she hugged him back in reply.

Both of them stayed at that position for a few minutes. He always liked the way she fit perfectly into his embrace and also how she hugged him back in reply. She liked the way he embraced her, always so tightly yet loving and gentle, also the feelings of being held by his strong arms. Neither of them said a word, even though they said nothing, they both knew that they were going to start something new by trying to re-combine the remaining pieces of their feelings for each other.

It was a new beginning for both.

From now on, they started to share their joy and sorrow, their tears and laughter, also their satisfaction and disappointment. It was just like opening a new chapter of their book of life and converted their sweet and bitter memories into a story.

After all, it was just a new beginning for both.

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**Author's note**: This is the edited version… But still not the PERFECT version… Coz I'm too busy to edit it again… I've added more words to the previous version, but not in this version… Man… tomorrow is FINAL EXAM… Man, I want to cry :( I get bad mark in English for the first time in this year… I usually never get bad marks there… so sad… wanna cry… perhaps lack of sleep would reduce my concentration :D but I get good marks on Law and Citizenship, and also history :p

Well, thanks for reading my fic.

Special thanks to my friend SamuraiGirl7 for the editing… Thanks for spending time and efforts to edit my fanfics :D

Thanks to Jesus Christ who has given me extra strength to survive this awful exam week :p

Thanks to my reviewers.

God bless you guyz aaaaalwwaaaaaayyyysssss……


	19. Gomenasai Finale

**Disclaimer: Nii doesn't own GS & GSD. If she does, then she would make a sex scene between Kira x Lacus and also Athrun x Cagalli instead of Kira x Fllay. LOL**

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_**Chapter 19: Gomenasai Finale**_

The rain didn't affect them at all.

Letting the rain showered them, he hugged her even more tightly, feeling both of her hands around his body replying his embrace, and he could feel her breathing upon his chest. Feeling her presence as much as he was able to do it, he couldn't help realizing how tiny her shoulder was, and behind all her tomboyish and tough attitudes, she was weak inside. He regretted doing all those horrible things to her during the past years, but he didn't even feel worthy enough to plead for forgiveness.

She put her hands around his masculine figure, and let herself sink into his presence. Allowing her body to rest within his arms and body, she leaned towards him, hugged him back in reply, and feeling his presence, once again. She knew that he hadn't changed at all during those years, and he was definitely the same Athrun she had been longing for. She rested her head onto his chest and inhaled his scent which had made her feelings mixed up. In one side, she really missed him; she wanted to be by his side and being held tightly yet lovingly, but in the other side, she still couldn't forgive him for what he had done to her years ago.

Realizing that some matters couldn't be finished without proper understanding, she wasn't able to believe in their bond for each other. She kept resting her body inside his, and whenever she thinks about what would happen to both of them in the future, her heart refused to do so, and instead of thinking rationally, she let herself enjoy the feelings of being held by the person she treasured the most, although he was also the same person who had hurt her the most. She realized that the more she wanted to break up completely with him, the more she hurt herself.

Despite all of her undying feelings for him, it was hard for her to believe in him once again. Slowly but steadily, she regained the controls of her hand and broke free from his embrace.

"Athrun", she said while she took a few steps backwards, "I still want to get things straight…"

He gazed at her and then nodded, saying "Let's find a better place to talk"

She examined their surroundings in order that she found a proper place for both of them to talk. She saw a small park near them; there were a few benches there and there was a vending machine in it. She wanted to open her mouth to deliver her opinion, but instead of well composed words, she let a sneeze out from her mouth. Hearing her sneezing Athrun was a bit startled, but then he realized that it was the rain that had caused her to be like that. Although summer in Onogoro was supposed to be warm, whenever it rains usually it turns cold drastically. No wonder Cagalli's sneezing.

"Cagalli, are you okay?", he asked while he put his hand on her shoulder, "Sorry I let you being showered by the rain-"

"No, I'm fine", she gave him a small smile, and then she point her index finger to the direction of the small park saying "How about sitting there and continue our talk?"

"I agree with you", he smiled to her and then walked by her side to the small park to sit on the bench inside it. Being side by side with her, he still couldn't help letting questions and doubt popped out inside his mind; he never knew whether she had forgiven him or not, whether she was willing to start everything all over again or not unless she exclaimed it by herself. He gazed at her figure, and then at her hands. He really wanted to hold her hand, pressing his fingers in between hers but he didn't know what her reaction would be. It was true that he had broken her defensive walls, but that doesn't mean she will forgive him that easily.

She sat on the bench, not quite looking at him. Her mind was cloudy and fuzzy, but somehow, she felt happy too although her other self kept telling her not to trust him again. She was about to say something when she felt a cold wind blowing to her direction, and she couldn't help sneezing –again.

"Ahh-", she closed her mouth with both of her hands, "-CHOO!!"

"Are you really okay?", Athrun stood beside her looking at her with worries inside his eyes, "The rain sure affects you a lot"

"Yeah, maybe. But I'm fine; really", she looked straight into his emerald eyes giving him an assuring smile "You don't have to be that worried. I won't be sick just because of this"

"You should drink something warm; perhaps it would lessen your sneezing...", he walked to the direction of the vending machine nearby, "…I'll buy it for you. What do you want?"

"Anything but coffee", she replied.

"How about hot cocoa?"

"That'll do", she smiled.

"Okay", he nodded, pressing a few buttons on the machine and a few seconds later, he returned to her direction bringing two cups of beverages saying "Here you go"

"Thank you", she said receiving the hot cocoa with a smile on her face, "What's yours?"

"Same", he replied, sitting beside her and then took a sip of his hot cocoa.

She took a sip of it and then she said "You never forget my preferences"

"You like it sweet, right?" he replied, smiling.

She nodded and then she hold her hot cocoa with both of her hands, her eyes gazing at it pointlessly as if she was thinking something difficult at the moment.

"Athrun-", she started talking while she squeezed her plastic cup inside her hands gently to express her mixed up feelings, "-you haven't answered my question yet"

Athrun who was about to take a sip of his hot cocoa suddenly cancelled it and held the cup with both of his hands on his lap. Her words had taken him aback; he should've known that she –sooner or later- would ask him the questions. He could have asked her what question she was going to ask him, but he didn't do it since he had already known what question it was.

"Answer me, Athrun", she looked at him straight into his eyes, "What if I said that it's already too late for both of us?"

"I… Don't know", he answered with doubt in his voice, "If it's already too late, I guess I would have no choices but to set you free and live our life separately…"

"Do you know why I asked you that?" she asked him with a sad smile on her face. Looking at him shaking his head, she continued, "Because two years is not a short period"

Hearing her answer and looking at her sad face, he did want to pull her inside his embrace again, saying that he really regretted doing all those horrible things to her. He could have done it; she wasn't in her fake personality so he could have done it as he wished, but he didn't. He felt so guilty that he didn't even dare to touch her; as if touching her would place more guilt into his heart.

"Two years is not enough for both of us to know each other well… To be able to support each other and build our bond to each other-", she said looking at his emerald eyes sadly, "-and two years is more than enough to hurt each other, to destroy what all we had been through"

He gazed into her amber eyes and found out that even though she was being herself at that time, her eyes were shining sadly and a bit teary. He really wanted to apologize to her but he had no courage to do it. Her sad eyes had made his heart hurt more than it should be and looking at them would make him feel so uneasy that he barely knew what to do next. He could see a lot of pain from inside her gleam; she expressed her true self through her poignant gleam. She had gone through a lot of sorrowful experience, and everybody who could bring her up to her current stance at the moment must've known that behind her manly and courageous attitude, she was terribly torn apart inside. Not every people could see her in her weak state; she always hid her sadness and sorrow from the others and managed to keep her chin up even when encountering the saddest moment in her life.

"If I could rate, these past two years is the most horrible phase amongst all of the phases in my whole life", she continued, now turning her head from his direction to the rainy sky, looking upwards as if she couldn't stand his gentle emerald eyes. She gazed upwards, examining every drop of rain that was falling down to the ground. Some of them hit the ground; some of them hit her face and eyes. Looking at the dark and intense cloud above her, she smiled to no one in order that she could express her feelings. Feeling like a fool and cursing herself silently inside her mind, she turned her head to his direction again, asking "I've talked too much. It's your turn now"

He smiled and then sighed. Looking at her smiling face, he still found her looks are cute and quite emphasizing even though her smile was a sad one. Admiring her beauty, he replied "I don't know whether to call these past two years horrible or not"

He gazed at his front, looking at some frogs on the pool jumping cheerfully for being showered by the summer rain of Onogoro. He smiled too, even though his smile wasn't a happy one, it was his way to express his desperation, his guilt, and his undying love. He knew that he was being a coward for not being able to look straight into her eyes, but looking into her eyes would only make him found sadness from it, and her sadness would make him feel even guiltier because he was one of the reasons of her sadness.

"However-", he continued while spinning his plastic cup, "-I did make a lot of terrible mistakes during these two years"

"Everyone who lives in this universe is imperfect. Even the perfect ultimate coordinator is imperfect. So I think it's normal for people having a lot of mistakes", trying to lessen the tension between them, she replied hastily but then she realized that she might had interrupted him so she abruptly apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry. You can keep going on…"

"You're right", looking at her, he smiled a little and then continued, "My first mistake was leaving you in Orb and then putting all the blames on you and Kira"

She gave him silence as his reply. She didn't say a word or even nod nor did something similar to it; she only looked at her hot cocoa with an empty gaze and letting him continued. She never wanted to recall those painful experiences she had gone through, but she had to listen to him.

"Don't sa-", she was about to interrupted him, but he just continued.

"I gave you that ring so you can always be my one and only, and also to keep Yuuna away from you since I never able to resist looking at him being so close with you. I admit that I was being egoistic; I didn't even try to understand how you felt back then. When I arrived at PLANT, I heard the news that you are nearly married with Yuuna. The moment I heard it, I was really mad. I had given you the ring, we even promised to wait each other, yet you betrayed my trust that quickly and easily"

He sighed, and then continued "The moment we were re-united again with Miriallia and Kira, I can't help getting mad at you. I saw you still wearing that ring and that even drove me even madder. I didn't know what's inside your head, you nearly wed another guy yet you still dare showing up in front of me wearing the ring I have given to you. I felt like I was your replacement, and I can't help yelling at you afterwards"

He stopped for a while, and during the short silence she decided to say something.

"I… Didn't know that was how you feel", she said while she gazed straight to his gentle yet sad eyes, "I'm really sorry for making such a terrible mistake, betraying your trust…"

"No, it's not your fault", he looked at her and then continued, "I was the one who was being egoistic and self-centered back then. At that time, all I wanted to do was to hurt you back in return, so I yelled at you and putting all the blames on you and Kira"

He sighed and then continued again, "But at our battle against Orb's forces, I began to realize it… It was Kira who had made me realized it-", he looked at her direction and when he found her avoiding his eyes again, he asked her "Are you okay?"

She managed to put a fake smile on her face, saying "I'm fine, keep going on"

Truth to be revealed, she wasn't fine at all. She was deeply hurt when he attacked Orb along with his comrades at Minerva. She tried her best not to break out in front of other people and especially the remaining crew of Takemikazuchi who had managed themselves to escape from their mother ship to Archangel.

"And then when Kira cut my MS into half… I began to realize that I had done something bad, really bad…" he stopped suddenly because he didn't find the right words to express his feelings.

"You realized it only after Kira cut your MS into half?" she suddenly asked him with a strange tone. There wasn't any anger at all, but it did sound sardonic.

"Cagalli?"

"No, forget it. I was a bit carried away. You can continue-", she looked away from him although she was still smiling to hide her true feelings.

"No, I won't continue", realizing that she was not fine at the moment, he brought himself closer to her and trying to find out what's wrong with her. However, she didn't seem to like him being close with her and still wanted to hide her face from him. He ignore all of her escaping efforts, instead of letting her hiding her face, he grabbed her shoulder so he could face her and the moment he did it, he found a few drops of tears rolled down her cheeks. Being surprised, he asked her nervously, "Cagalli… Did I… Say something wrong?"

Shaking her head, she replied him, saying "No, you didn't say anything wrong"

He was really startled with her reaction, he never expected her to do so, and seeing her crying had caused more pain inside his heart, as if it was as painful as being tortured physically. He cursed himself for letting her shed more tears, for being the cause of her sadness and sorrow. He wanted to hug her and give her as much comfort as he could, but he had no courage to do so since he felt that he didn't deserve to have her inside his embrace once again. He felt as if he was too sinful to plead for forgiveness, and also too wicked to be given a second chance.

Wiping her tears, she said, "Athrun, your words are not wrong. They are true. They are facts, and facts are always true"

"If that so-", he touched her cheek with one of her hands, his eyes gazing at her gently yet sadly, "-why are you crying now?"

"I… Don't know… Perhaps there is something wrong with me-", she looked downwards; hoping that she wouldn't shed more tears, she avoided his emerald eyes and squeezed her plastic cup so tightly that she nearly spilled some of the hot cocoa.

No matter how hard he tried to assure her and persuade her to believe in him once again, wounds inside her hearts that he had caused weren't that easy to be healed. She thought that talking each other would make everything clear but she was wrong. Instead of making things clear, those words of his were only opening the old wounds inside her heart.

He gazed at her lovingly, and then slowly and gently he caressed her cheek, wiping a drop of her tears on it, saying "I don't want to see you cry again…"

"You don't want to see me cry again?" she asked with a sardonic smile on her face while one of her hands held his hand which had just wiped her tears, "Why now? So you need two years to say those words?"

"Cagalli-"

"I can't… I just can't forgive you that easily… And you can't just say that you don't want to see me cry that easily… You just don't know everything-", releasing his hand that was holding her face, she continued, "-you don't know, and you'll never know how I felt these two years…"

Looking at her crying face, he wanted to hold her tight enough to comfort her but he couldn't do it; all he could do at that time was cursing himself for being such a coward.

"After Minerva had destroyed Takemikazuchi, I told myself not to blame anyone and not to hate anyone, not even Shinn Asuka who had completely destroyed the forces. I realized after our secret meeting that we had taken different paths, and we should respect each other's choice. However, after Orb's defeat, even though I've told myself thousands times not to blame you or anyone else, I still couldn't help myself to cry…I still couldn't believe that you participated in attacking Orb… I kept telling myself that you and I had taken different paths and we should respect each other's decision but still, I couldn't help thinking how cruel of you to do that to me and Orb… Orb is the country that my father had trusted into, and you should've known that he was hurt too the moment he decided to do the self-destruction, but you still attacked it… I wanted to hate you, I wanted to take revenge upon you and your comrades at Minerva, but I couldn't… I wanted to take off the ring you had given to me but I didn't have the heart to do it-", she suddenly felt a pair of strong arms pulled her, taking her inside his embrace once again.

He couldn't take it anymore, seeing her crying without doing anything to stop her tears would kill him slowly. He couldn't think of everything; he just let his inner heart decide his actions and words; he couldn't use his sanity any longer.

"No… I was being egoistic, I know that I should respect our different paths-", she said while she struggled inside his embrace, wanting to be released from him. She didn't want herself to get used to his presence and his warmth, knowing that they shouldn't be together.

"I was so wrong", he whispered sadly, caressing her hair, "If there is a word which has stronger meaning than 'sorry', I'll definitely say it to you…"

She remained silent for a few moments and then he broke the silence by saying, "But I don't know what to say… I can't just say I'm sorry for I've done a lot of horrible things to you…"

"I am stupid", grabbing his shirt with both of her trembling hands, she finally said with a weak voice, "I want to be with you again, yet I don't want to forgive you…"

"You don't have to forgive me now…", he continued, "…but please give me a second chance to heal the wounds inside your heart… Because I want you to know that you are the very person I treasure the most"

"Is that true?", she asked with sadness inside her voices.

"Words are powerless to prove that…"

"Yes", she said while slowly releasing her grip upon his shirts, "I'm sorry, I don't know what's happening with me now-"

"I should be the one who apologize to you", he said still not letting go of her, "Because I have made you cry-"

"I've changed", she said weakly while shaking her head, "I'm not the same Cagalli Yula Athha you know four years ago"

He didn't want to let her go, but she continued to push him away from her so he had no choices but to let her go even though it was against his will. She didn't look at him; perhaps avoiding his eyes would make her better and would stop her tears. And it was.

"I am the Princess of Orb and also the Chief Representative… There are a lot of times where I am expected to be strong even though I'm torn up inside my self. I can't cry, so I won't. Even if I did, I wouldn't let anyone know about it… Not even Kira", she continued not looking to his direction, "But sometimes I can't hold it any longer, and I have to admit that I cried a lot during these past two years…"

He just listened to her while gazing at her, and inside his mind he was thinking about what he should do in that kind of situation. Listening to her had made him know her true feelings, and the fact about her true feelings wasn't a good one. She had suffered a lot during the Second Bloody Valentine war even without him adding more of it.

"You should have known that I cried a few times at the Archangel, right?" she looked at him with a bitter smile on her face, wanting him to respond her.

He nodded and then let her continue.

"Actually I cried more than that without anyone noticing…", she gazed back at the pond before her, "…and I'm tired of people telling me that I'm strong, so strong that I can get trough a lot of horrible turbulences, but actually I'm not. I'm so tired of pretending to be strong that I wish I could cry myself out loud, but I can't"

Sighing heavily, she continued, "That's why I said that I've changed. The present Cagalli is not the same with the one you've encountered four years ago"

"Cagalli-", he finally opened his mouth to say something to her, "-people can change, and time can change people. There's nothing wrong with changes". He brought himself closer to her and then with one of his hands on her shoulder, he brought her closer to him and let her head rest onto his shoulder.

Both of them said nothing to each other for a while, resulting in a few seconds of total silence, but then broke the silence saying "Do you mind if I say something now?"

"Nope", she answered, "Go on, then"

"At the Archangel, when I was the CIC there, there was something that nearly driven me crazy", he said while one of his hands still caressing her gently, "When you've decided to go out using the Akatsuki, I was too worried to say anything and my feelings were really mixed up. I couldn't forbid you to save Orb, yet I didn't want you to endanger yourself. I really wanted to say 'Let me be the one who did it' but of course I couldn't say that since the MS was given to you. So I could do nothing but to pray for your safety from inside the Archangel, while watching over you. When I watched Shinn attacked you, I was going to be crazy; I couldn't help you at all. When he kept attacking you, I could concentrate on my supposed task no longer; all I did was to shout your name even though I knew that it wouldn't reach you. A lot of bad things popped out inside my head. I kept thinking 'What would happen next? What if Shinn killed you? And what should I do if Shinn really did it? How can I survive that? How can I live without you? I've done many bad things to you, yet I easily let you die that way?' instead of doing my assigned task. I couldn't do anything at that time, and I kept cursing myself for being such a useless being."

"…and then finally Kira went out with his Strike Freedom-", she said, "-followed by you with your Infinite Justice"

He nodded in agreement, what she said was the right thing after all.

"A few days after the battle, Kira told me about you at that time", she continued, "He said that right after the battle, you passed out due to your severe injuries"

"Well, Kira's right"

"I haven't thanked you for that", she said with a bitter smile, "Thank you very much for saving Orb"

He glanced her way and saw her sad face. She didn't say anything about her; all she cared about was her country and nothing else, but he didn't mind it at all since his physical injuries were nothing compared to the wounds in her heart.

"Do you know what I was going to say to you right before Archangel departed to the space?" she asked him while she stopped resting her head on his shoulder and then faced him to look deeply into his emerald eyes.

"No", he said shaking his head slowly. She brought her hand to his face gradually and then she touched his cheek using it.

"I wanted to say two things but when I looked into your eyes, I felt like I don't have the heart to say them", smiling bitterly, she kept touching his cheek with one of her hands and a few seconds later he used one of his hand to hold her hand.

"What are they?" he asked.

"The first one is 'thank you for everything that we have gone through and for our times together' and the second is 'farewell', but at the moment I decided to say that… You just pulled me closer to you-"

"Do you know what I meant by that hug?" he suddenly interrupted her while his eyes were filled with desperation and regrets.

"No"

"That hug means 'Please forgive me, and please wait for me because I still have my feelings attached to you deeply and we can still make it. Please wait for me because it's not too late for both of us to start all over again'"

"You didn't say it verbally"

"I had no courage to do it", he replied, "I was a bit shocked when I saw you not wearing that ring anymore"

"But then I returned the ring to you right before you leave Orb to PLANT"

"At that time I was so shocked that I couldn't say anything at all-", he said with a sad tone in his voice, "-and I thought everything was already too late"

"You know, I am such a stupid person", she said while she brought her hand to her lap to squeeze her plastic cup again, perhaps it was her way to express her uneasiness, "No matter how many times you hurt me or yell at me or attacking my troops and comrades or even turn your back cruelly against me, I'm still unable to let the ring go off from my finger and still treasure it as if I'm going to die without it"

Athrun gazed at her and then said, "But then you released it"

"I'll do anything for Orb", she smiled bitterly, "I've told you about that, haven't I?"

"You have", he answered with a gentle smile on his face, "But I don't care if you hurt me again, because all I want to do now is to heal the wounds in your heart-"

He still wanted to continue his words but suddenly she brought her hand to his cheek again and pinched it so hard that probably it would leave a purplish bruise in a few minutes. Moreover, she pinched it at the same place she had slapped him before.

"Ouch!!" he said while she did it, "Why did you do that?"

"Because you are stupid. Remember me saying that all coordinators are stupid? Well, you are a special case because you are not stupid, you are dumb and idiotic!", she said that in her usual fierce tone and shortly after that she giggled at him.

"What's so funny with being dumb and idiotic-", he scowled while rubbing his sore cheek, "-I am not like that…"

"Oh yes you are", she replied with a wide smile on her face, "With your looks, you can attract a lot of girls and look for my replacement"

"Hmm…" he replied while he kept rubbing his cheek "…If that's the case, perhaps you are right. I am always being surrounded with a lot of girls of all types, yet I can always see you not anyone else"

"Uh-huh", she nodded in agreement.

"You will give me second chance, right?"

"You don't need to sound that confident", she glared at him but suddenly she turned serious, saying "Of course I will but…"

"But what?"

"I don't think I can forgive you completely that easily…" she sighed "…besides, I'm not yet ready to wear that ring again"

"Then I'll do my best to heal the wounds in your heart…" he pulled her inside his embrace and then continued "…and I will wait patiently until you are ready to wear that ring again, no matter how long it would take"

"A year?" she tried bargaining with him.

"I will wait for sure", he smiled at her while he was using one of his hands to stroke her hair gently. He gazed at her and found her looked cute, although her bargaining made her seemed more childish.

"Five years?"

"I will still wait"

"Ten years?"

"I will still wait for you"

"Twenty years?"

"The answer would still be the same"

"Fifty years?"

"Yes, the answer would still be the sa-", he wanted to continue but she pinched his cheek, again, "-OUCH!! It hurts"

"See?" she said while she pinched his cheek harder than before, "You are really stupid after all!"

"Yes I am…", he replied in pain, "…I am a stupid, dumb and idiotic guy; now that I've admitted it, will you release me?"

"No", she grinned widely.

"Cagalli, please release me or else-"

"Or else what?" she asked him with a challenging manner, "What are you going to do to me?"

He quickly put both of his hands on her shoulders and then immediately brought his lips to meet with hers and kissed her gently. She was really surprised when he did it so she stopped pinching his cheek and then she replied to his kiss. The kiss didn't last for a long time, and by the time they ended it, she looked at him with annoyance inside her eyes. She always became annoyed with him after he stole a kiss from her.

He smiled slyly and then said "You haven't changed at all"

"Really?"

"Still as childish, as reckless, and as harsh as four years ago"

"And you are the same too. You are still as stupid as four years ago"

"Well, please let this stupid guy retrieve his broken promise from two years ago", he smiled to her.

"You know what, Athrun…?" she suddenly turned her head away from him and her face went red gradually.

"Hmm..?" he was confused by her sudden moving against him and he bent himself a little lower so he could see her face.

"Actually…" she was about to say something but realizing her heartbeat was getting faster and harder, she felt that she could just say it in another occasion, "…ah! Forget it!"

"Say it now", he demanded.

"I won't", she drank her remaining hot cocoa which had turned cold at that time and then squeezed the plastic cup as hard as she could.

"Why not?"

"Because you are stupid", she stood from the bench and then proceed to walk to the direction of the garbage bin so she could throw the plastic cup to it.

"I don't see any connections between being stupid and-", he wanted to continue his words but suddenly he heard her whispering something with face as red as beetroot.

"_I miss__ed you"_

"Huh?" he replied with his jaw dropped in surprise, he never expected her to say those words. However, he didn't hear her clearly thanks to some cars passing by near the park and his coordinator senses didn't help him at all.

"Cagalli, can you say that…, again?"

"HELL NO!!!" she shouted to him in impatience and anger, "I can't say such words twice! Now go to a doctor and fix those coordinator ears of yours!"

"But there were a lot of cars passing by at the time you said it-"

"You are S-T-U-P-I-D!!!" her face turned redder and redder. Losing her patience, she threw the empty plastic cup to his head as and as fast as she could while shouting "I miss you, fool! I missed you so badly during these two years! I MISSED YOU, IDIOT!!!"

Ahtrun, being thrown with a plastic cup couldn't help himself not to let his jaw dropped and stood still in surprise.

"Satisfied!!??" she glared at him with her all-red face.

Suddenly, he smiled widely in relief and approached towards her and hugged her tightly from her back, saying "I missed you too"

She held his hands tightly and closed her eyes to enjoy the feelings of being enveloped by his warmth, but not until-

"Sorry to disturb the two of you but-", a certain officer who suddenly appeared made them startled and blushed intensely, "-you guys should have known that it's forbidden to litter here, I mean, it's forbidden to litter at random places everywhere in Onogoro…"

She stood there still with him hugging her from her back, it was just now both of their faces turned really red; even redder than tomatoes; and felt very embarrassed. She quickly shoo both of his hands from her waist and then walked towards the place when she had thrown the plastic cup to, picked it up with embarrassment. She kept looking downwards; hoping the officer wouldn't recognize her as The Princess of Orb. If he did recognize her, than she could have died of embarrassment. Athrun stood still in embarrassment too and he took his empty cup to throw it to the garbage bin. The officer was a bit curious about Cagalli; he kept staring at her because her face looked very familiar to him.

"Hey, you look really similar to our beloved Princess, Miss!"

"Oh really?" she replied while she walked towards the garbage bin and then threw the plastic cup into it, "A lot of people have told me about that too"

"You are very lucky", he grinned widely, "Thanks for keeping Orb clean. Well, I have to go now, and don't repeat the same mistake, okay?"

"Err--… Okay. You're welcome", she replied with a wide smile on her face, trying her best not to burst out into laughs and then watched the officer left them.

"Hey, Athrun, did you hear that?" she asked him cheerfully, "He said that I look really similar to the Princess of Orb! Lucky he doesn't know that I am the real person-"

He suddenly pulled herself closer to him and was about to kiss her but this time she was aware so she quickly pushed him, saying "I won't fall for the same trick over and over again"

"The officer has interrupted us", he said slyly, still holding her tightly even though she pushed him quite hard, "Shall we continue?"

"No, no, no, no, and no. I'm going home now. It's getting late", she shook her head expressing her disagreement and pushed him harder than before, causing him to lose his balance and accidentally released his grip upon her.

"I'll drive you home, okay?" he offered her but she refused.

"How are you supposed to drive me home? I brought my own car, so you don't need to-"

"Okay, I'll change my statement", he put a devilish grin on his gorgeous face; "I want to drive you home. How about that?"

"The answer will still be 'no'", she shook her head saying, "I have to bring my car back to my house, and if you drive me home, who will do it?"

"Just tell your driver to bring your car home"

"I've told him to go home", she continued "Really, Athrun, you can drive me home at another occasions… You don't have to be this persistent. I'll be fine, okay?"

He thought for a while, and then let a heavy sigh out, saying, "Fine then. I guess I'll give up"

"Thanks", she smiled, "See you soon then" she was about to leave but suddenly he grabbed one of her hands saying, "Hey, wait a sec"

Glancing back at him, she said impatiently "What?" but he ignored her impatient tone and walked closer to her and gave her a short, chaste good bye kiss before saying, "Take care"

Blushing madly, she smiled to him saying "Same to you. See you soon"

* * *

**Author's note:** Actually there aren't author's note. Too busy. Please R&R. God Bless you always. See you soon. Thank you very much (does this sound like a telegram? LOL)


	20. 人々の秘密

**DISCLAIMER:**** Nii doesn't own GS/GSD. **If she really did, then it would turn out hilarious. Just like… Imagine Kira going out with Fllay. Then Lacus appears and sing _"Hey hey you you , I don't like your girlfriend! No way, no way, I think you should get a new one…"_ and so on. Imagine Athrun going out with Meer and she sings _"I'm tellin' ya to loosen up my buttons baby…"_ Oh and one more thing. Nii doesn't own _Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne)_ and _Buttons (Pussycat Dolls)_

Thanks to Jesus Christ for His continuous blessings and guidance :D

GRAMMAR SUCKS REALLY!

* * *

**_Chapter 20: Hitobito no Himitsu_**

Kira was rather busy with both his wedding and his work. His position as the Supreme Commander of ZAFT military forces was forcing him to work until late although wasn't as late as his twin sister, Cagalli. He had a few matters to deal with the Chairman of the National Defense council, Yzak Joule, and dealing with such a hot-headed person like Yzak wasn't an easy thing to do. Actually, Yzak had become more matured and calm after the end of the Second Bloody Valentine War but actually he still needed an Anger Management program better than anyone else. Kira's job as the Supreme Commander of the ZAFT military forces requires him to deal with Yzak a lot of times.

"So, Athrun, how does it feel working at Orb again?" Lacus asked him while she was bringing a tray full of assorted tea cakes. Lacus was always fond of cooking and teacakes were her specialty. It was a bit weird for a girl of her social class to be fond of cooking since she has a lot of talented and qualified maids and cooks. However, she learned how to cook during her teenage and now, no matter how busy she was, she always spent a little time to cook.

"Hmm, Orb has changed-", Athrun was about to continue his words but a certain blonde cut his words off.

"-a lot", she said while she added a teaspoon of sugar to her tea.

Athrun glanced at her adding another teaspoon of sugar into her tea while saying, "Do not add more sugar unless you wanted yourself to suffer from diabetes"

"I won't, and I know the safe limits for sugar consumption, okay?" she scowled while she stirred her tea, "I am not stupid enough to ruin my health-"

"Really?" Athrun grinned devilishly, saying "Actually I know a certain workaholic Princess who always sleeps and eats late…"

Knowing that Athrun was actually referring to her being workaholic, she replied "You'll regret saying it"

"Prove it", he smiled slyly, quite ignoring the fact that there were not only the two of them who were talking; Lacus was standing next to them.

Putting all the cakes on the serving dish, Lacus giggled at both Cagalli and Athrun, saying "You guys never changed, really. Cagalli, and Athrun…"

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment, Lacus", Cagalli grinned at her. She would never be able to raise her temper when it comes to Lacus Clyne; she was the most gentle person in the whole universe and getting mad at her was the very last thing Cagalli could think of.

After arranging the teacakes on the serving dish, Lacus sat herself next to Cagalli while she took a scone and filled it with a small amount of raspberry jelly.

"Lacus, where's Kira?" Athrun asked her while he refilled his cup with freshly brewed tea.

"He is busy…" Lacus answered while she took another scone for her to be eaten, "Kira is busy thanks to the Chairman of National Defense…"

Athrun smiled broadly while replying "Did you mean Yzak?"

Lacus smiled to him and everybody who saw her smiling would find her smile was sweet yet full of sarcasm while saying "Who else?"

"You know, Lacus…" Cagalli took a sip of her tea while she continued "…the way you smile now makes me wonder if you really are the Princess of Peace. I've seen you smiling thousands of times, and this is the first time I see you smiling sweetly yet sarcastically"

"You're right", Lacus grinned as Cagalli had finished delivering her opinion about Lacus' smile, "All thanks to the power of media who has built my image"

"Cagalli is right", Athrun added, saying "Knowing you for years, I've never seen you smile that way"

"Well, I'm a human being too and I have my own patience limit" Lacus smiled in a meaningful way while she continued tampering with her scone, "Sometimes, there are times when I feel like I want to shout foul words loud due to my annoyance, but of course I can't do it, especially in front of the media"

"Foul words? Really?" Cagalli asked Lacus again to make sure that her ears didn't tell her something wrong, "And then-?"

"At the end, I always choose to keep those foul words inside my mind and try forgetting them…" Lacus replied while she was eating her scone, and after she had the scone swallowed, she continued, "…mostly because I don't like being a rash person"

"I see", Athrun nodded and then he took a glance at Cagalli, saying "So you don't like being a rash person, right? Unlike a certain someone-"

Knowing that Athrun was referring to her, Cagalli gave Athrun a deadly glare but she quickly stopped it since she had something more important to be discussed with Lacus that day.

"Lacus…" Cagalli said as she put her cup back on the table, "…how was the annual meeting?"

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A young woman was walking through the hallway of the apartment building. She walked very silently as if she didn't want anybody to know that she was passing through the hallway. However, her gesture didn't imply that she was in prying mode. In fact, her walking gesture was very natural and normal people wouldn't notice what her true intentions were.

The present Meyrin Hawke was different from the two years ago ones. She had become taller than before and her face had become more matured and graceful. She let her deep-red hair grew long, but she used the same hair do no longer. She had abandoned that bunch style of hers, and let her hair be hanged loosely on her back. She didn't look as childish as two years ago and she thanked herself for being able to change her image a lot.

She always enjoyed her new life in Copernicus, although it was way too different from her previous ones. Before she joined the Military Academy of ZAFT, she lived in Sextilis-2 with her sister Lunamaria and you can call it a peaceful life, despite their fights over the phone or the internet or television. Things had changed a lot since both of them stayed at Minerva during the Second Bloody Valentine war, and the war sure had changed the Hawke Sisters a lot.

She quit the military a few months after the war had ended. She had a lot of reasons to do so; she felt that the military life doesn't suit her very much, and the second reason was she really wanted to forget a certain someone. She once thought that she was running from the reality of life by quitting the military, but actually there were no one who blamed her for that. Lunamaria looked a bit disappointed when Meyrin told her that she wanted to quit the military, but she said that she would be fine and would keep supporting her little sister no matter what happens.

Recalling Lunamaria saying that phrase to her; Meyrin regretted not telling Lunamaria the truth about her job.

It was true that Meyrin moved from Sextilis-2 to Copernicus due to her new job, however she told nobody about what her true job was. She told everybody that she would become in instructor at some kind of college in Copernicus, but actually she wasn't. Two months after the Second War had ended, she told Lunamaria that she had quit the military and she was going to stay at Sextilis-1 to enroll at an academy that will give her an Instructor Certificate so she would be able to get a job as a Programming Instructor at a famous college at Copernicus. Truth to be revealed, she was on a special intensive training for ZAFT secret agents during the previous year.

She had gone through military training before and at first she thought special agent training would be quite similar to the basic military training. However, the special agent training was rather different and tougher compared to the regular military training. She was doing badly at the first two months of training but she quickly improved herself and got herself a nice position at the ZAFT Crime Investigation Bureau.

Sometimes she felt a bit confused with herself. Sure she really wanted to escape herself from the military life, but she never imagined herself being a special agent of ZAFT. She wondered why she, Meyrin Hawke, all of the sudden, decided to change her life one hundred and eighty degrees. It wasn't because she hates military life; she just didn't enjoy being a CIC. Besides, she had seen a lot of horrible things during the war that had changed her a lot. The other reason was she wanted to forget a certain guy named Athrun Zala.

She told herself that her feelings towards him were nothing but mere adoration even though she and her sister used to compete for him which always results in Meyrin's total defeat. Lunamaria was a cheerful and bold person while Meyrin was the shy and childish type; that was the reason why Meyrin never be able to win against her sister, she didn't have the courage to make the first move. However, after Meyrin escaped to Archangel along with Athrun, she realized that her feelings weren't just mere adoration.

The thought of her falling in love with him really surprised her and she didn't want to believe it either, but she could do nothing about it because it was true.

During her times at the Archangel, she was stupid enough to be very concerned about him while there was another girl there waiting desperately for him. However, she couldn't cover her true feelings and she still insisted on taking care of him even though she knew that she was wrong for doing so. Behind her innocent face and shy personality, she hid her egoistic self perfectly. Why would she admit defeat to her sister and to the Princess of Orb? She wouldn't admit defeat at that time; Athrun had spent a lot of time with her sister during his times at Minerva, now it's her turn to spend her time with him in Archangel ignoring Cagalli's presence.

Whenever she recalled how she felt back then, she couldn't help cursing herself for being such an egoistic jerk. She realized her mistakes when Cagalli told her to take care of Athrun. By the time Cagalli returned the ring to him, she knew that she was so wrong for being such an egoist person. She knew that even though Cagalli had returned the ring to him, his heart only longed for Cagalli. That was the reason why she wanted a brand new life. She decided to move on and separate herself as far as she could from Athrun, and supporting him from far apart.

She grabbed her flat key-card from her pocket and then she approached to the door of her flat. She placed it inside the sensor and then took it quickly before she went inside. However, she also raised her awareness; she didn't want something bad to happen. Being a special agent for a few months had raised her awareness. She couldn't help it though, her missions required her to be like that and besides, she didn't want to die during her missions either.

Walking hastily to her PC, she quickly turned it on, typed her password and then grabbed the mini PC microphone and then attached it properly.

She was about to type herself a personal journal about her investigation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"As we see, the Earth Alliance has Maria Josefa Ivanovski appointed as the new secretary general", Lacus said while she look into Cagalli's eyes seriously, "Peace should be the major issue since Blue Cosmos are no longer existed to control the main government of Earth Alliance. Late Chairman Dullindal has completely destroyed Blue Cosmos and LOGOS"

Lacus paused for a while to see Cagalli's reaction and when she received a nod from Cagalli, she continued, "The media has told us that there weren't any survivors left but, actually, there are five or six survivors. The teachings of Blue Cosmos still remained deeply inside the survivors and they managed to form the new Blue Cosmos. Based on the information I've got from the spy of Clyne Faction, Secretary General Ivanovski is also one of those six survivors"

"So that's why Earth Alliance keeps bugging and convincing Orb to join the Earth Alliance" Cagalli suddenly spoke all of the sudden.

Lacus was very surprised to hear that and she quickly asked "Then? You didn't accept their request, did you?"

"Of course not. All they want are Orb's military forces to help them. It's obvious that they want to erase the existence of coordinators in the whole universe, Orb included" she replied steadily, "However, I'm pretty sure that Earth Alliance wouldn't attack Orb now; even if they did attack us, I'm sure they wouldn't be able to conquer Orb with their current power. You know, about 50 percents of the Earth Alliance nations are currently suffering from post war inflation and plague. They've spent too much money on weaponry during the past four years and that's the obvious result"

"You've got a point but-", Lacus was about to continue while she suddenly heard the intercom inside her house ringing "-we should avoid war as much as we could… Well I think I'm going to leave you guys for a while—"

"Go ahead" Cagalli said as she put her attention back to Lacus' tea cakes while saying "Man, I can't choose which one I'm going to eat since Lacus has baked a lot of types of cookies…"

"Why didn't you tell me about that?" Athrun suddenly asked her with a serious, worried and disappointed expression. Cagalli who was busy picking her choice of tea cakes was a bit confused with his sudden question and couldn't help making curious expression while saying "Tell you about what?"

"About the Earth Alliance convincing Orb to join them" Athrun continued with worries in his voices as he held one of her hands from under the table.

"Oh, that matter?" she smiled childishly and whenever she did it he thought that nobody would never recognized her as a politician if they'd ever get the chance to see her smile that way, "Well, I thought that to tell you or not to tell you were not going to make any differences between us, so I chose not telling you"

"Is that the reason why you overworked yourself for the past two weeks?"

"Hmm…" she gazed upwards, thinking and trying to find the perfect words to describe her current situation but in the end she ended up saying simple words like "…yeah. Sort of"

"Then you really should've told me so I wouldn't blame you on your unlimited working hours-"

"Well, it's okay for now, Athrun" she gave him a wide assuring smile which he found very cute and irresistible, "I just didn't want to get mixed up between work and personal matters, so I simply didn't tell you about that"

"I see", he smiled while he brought himself closer to her saying "Forgive me then"

"Its okay" she smiled to him and when she found him not saying anything but staring at her face, her face began to turn redder and redder as the time elapsed and her smile slowly changed into frown while saying "Stop staring!"

Hearing her shouting at him, he couldn't help himself not to giggle at her rashness and asking her "Do you know why I always stare at you?"

"No, and stop staring at me" she scowled while she freed her hand from his but unfortunately he was way too fast for her and he easily brought his face closer to her and he could see her blushing face clearly.

"Well, actually you are too cute…" he smiled slyly as she sat still while he brought his face closer to hers, enclosing the gap between them, "…so cute that I can't resist the temptation to kiss you-"

"Don't you dare…" she threatened him but actually she didn't object him.

"Well of course I won't do it now…" he drew himself further to her back to his seat while he managed himself to appear as normal as he could, "…since I can hear your brother approaching and knowing him for years, sure I wouldn't want to get myself into trouble"

"Is Kira here?" she asked him while she positioned herself on the seat properly so she wouldn't appear like she had done something 'improper'.

"He's not here now" Athrun fixed his jacket as he heard Kira and Lacus' footsteps became louder and clearer, "But he's going to be here in a few seconds"

"I see" she took a cookie and then she ate it, and she realized how delicious it was. She was about to take another one when Athrun suddenly opened his mouth to say something.

"Hey, how about continuing _our business_ after we have returned to the hotel?" Athrun asked her with a sly tone on his voice.

"Continuing what?" she asked him back in return. It was not that she had a slow brain; she was just focusing on picking the smallest scone on the plate so she didn't really pay attention to him. She was really amazed with Lacus being able to bake a lot of irresistible cookies and scones, and since Lacus had baked a lot of variants she wanted to have a taste of them. However she didn't want to eat too much so she decided to take the smallest one for each variant.

"Uhmm… Nevermind. Forget that", he replied avoiding her innocent gleam and cursing himself for being such a fool. He wasn't really a fool, he was just wondering since when he had obtained that seductive side of his. He regretted persuading her to continue their business since he had ashamed himself in front of her and luckily, she didn't notice anything wrong with him at all.

"Hey Athrun! Cagalli! So you guys are here after all!" Kira joined their afternoon tea and then sat beside Athrun, "Sorry to make you guys wait; I have to deal with that Joule… I wonder how you can stand being his comrade during your times as a ZAFT redcoat eh, Athrun?"

"Hmm…" Athrun paused for a while, thinking before finally he spoke "…maybe you should bring a pair of earmuff whenever you encounter him"

Kira laughed a little before he continued "Okay. So let's get into the business. I bet the Princess of Orb would like to hear my latest investigation on—"

Suddenly Athrun's cellphone rang and he quickly pressed a button on it to lowered the ringing volume while saying, "Hey, I'm sorry but I have to answer the call"

"Take your time" Kira said as he gazed Athrun walking to a corner so none of them would hear his conversation.

"I bet the info you're going to give is about the new Blue Cosmos", she tried guessing.

"Wrong", Kira smiled meaningfully while he placed his laptop on the table and then turned it on, "It's about—"

"About what?" Cagalli demanded impatiently.

"I can't tell you here actually" Kira sighed as he saw their surroundings.

"It has something to do with Orb's internal affairs?"

"…yeah"

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"—ZAFT radical faction" Meyrin Hawke typed as she whispered those words from her mouth.

She was about to write her electronic diary. It was no ordinary electronic diary though.

_Cosmic Era 75, Friday, May the 14__th_

_I've just got home from the Special Forces head quarter, right after I've hacked a surprising data from their main server._

_ZAFT radical faction is currently working on their movements. After eliminating a few useless members (see May, the 1__st__ and the 9__th__ entry for further details) and two secret agents, they now are planning to kill people they consider dangerous. They always managed to hide their presence by disguising their victims and faking their identity._

_As far as my knowledge goes, they are planning to do a coup detat and I'm really sure they won't make it unless they kill some certain people. I went to my office this morning and while I hacked into their account, I've found some surprising news there._

_The current leader of ZAFT radical faction (Andre Flemington) is planning to kill:_

_- Lacus Clyne_

_- Eileen Canaver_

_- Pierre Blanc_

_- Gerald Harrison_

_- Meyrin Hawke_

_I'm pretty sure why they even bother to kill those people. Lacus Clyne is famously known as the Princess of Peace; she has been struggling for ending the war since four years ago. Her efforts are not useless since peace can be obtained at C.E. 73 and her efforts for maintaining peace for the past two years are awesome. Every people believe that there would never be a war as long as she's the one who rules PLANT, along with Chairman Eileen Canaver_

_Chairman Eileen Canaver has been trying to bring peace to the universe since C.E. 71 along with the late Chairman Siegel Clyne. However she decided to retire after the first war had ended. She's on moderate faction and shares the same ideology as Lacus Clyne. However she is not as influential as Lacus Clyne. Despite the fact that she has the less influence, she is the first chairman who has won more than 75 vote from the whole PLANT citizen._

_Pierre Blanc is an activist and politician who dedicated himself to maintain peace along with Chairman Eileen Canaver. He is the vice-Chairman and if Eileen got killed it's obvious that he will be her replacement. He's very tough when it comes to the radical Faction of ZAFT. He is the person who declares that ZAFT's radical faction was no longer existed and whoever dares to rebuild it would be punished severely._

_But why they even bother to kill me and Gerald? Gerald is just a DUMB detective who happens to be my direct superior._

_Perhaps it's because we know too much about them, and they want us to keep our mouth shut. They've tried a few way to kill us both (especially me because Gerald can't hack anything)._

_However, I also heard that some people from ZAFT were going to erase my memory by hitting my head or something. That's why I'm writing this journal, just in case they really did… I hope they didn't though._

_I've just sent this info to: Commander Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne._

_----o0o-----_

She stretched her limbs and was about to type more until she recalled everything that had happened to her during the past few months. She and her partner, Gerald Harrison had been assigned to handle the case of an isolated murder and that case eventually lead them into the affairs of the ZAFT radical faction. She never thought that she would actually able to make it to their current progress. However, her progress seemed to make the people inside ZAFT radical faction aware and she accidentally blew up her cover once, resulting in her being poisoned. She managed to survive though, however that unpleasant memory had aroused her awareness and she decided not to trust anyone again since she could have died anytime, anywhere.

She was also afraid of the probability of her being made amnesia or something similar to that, so she wrote a personal journal which she had put extra protection on it so nobody would be able to read it. For passwords, she had made herself a clue so even if she suffered from amnesia, she would be able to recall the password again.

Strange. Meyrin Hawke used to be a childish girl who often got nervous when a battle started. Now she had changed a lot; she was in the middle of a very dangerous situation yet she still continued her missions with full bravery and didn't give up easily.

Despite the danger of her missions, she still managed to send some info to Lacus and Kira.

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"-then?" Cagalli asked curiously while she stopped focusing on the teacakes.

"Well, a certain someone has just sent me the info but…" Kira grinned as he whispered something to Cagalli's ear; ignoring the fact that Athrun was also there watching them in confuse.

Cagalli listened to her twin brother carefully and suddenly her eyes widened after she had comprehend what Kira tried to tell her.

"No way…"

"I can't tell you further info about that here" he whispered as he saw Athrun walking closer to both of them, he had just his phone call finished.

"Can you mail it to me, Kira?"

"Okay. I'll do that as soon as possible"

* * *

**Author's note:** sorry but no major romance here. I'll do it on next chappie :D sorry for the grammars. My friends were disturbing me on MSN hahaha. Yet I was stupid enough to respond to their disturbance :p well I can't help it since it was fun :D add me at "nii underscore blueberryfreak at hotmail dot com" or at "nii underscore blueberryfreak at yahoo dot com" coz i'll certainly will accept you guys. More online friends, more fun! But don't convince me to play uno at MSN whenever i'm writing coz i'll ignore you for sure :p just kidding :D 

Thanks for reading and reviewing. God bless you always :D

_--Nii-Blueberryfreak--_


	21. Kimi wo Mamoritai

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own GS and GSD. But it's my duty as a fan fiction author to ruin the whole story with romances and the characters with OOCness :D**

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO **MY LORD JESUS CHRIST** :D

* * *

_**Chapter 20: **__**Kimi wo Mamoritai**_

"_Phew…"_ she whispered as she went out from the shower cubicle to her bedroom. The summer in Copernicus was not as hot as she had imagined before so she felt like she didn't need to turn on the air conditioner in her flat. Besides, she wanted to save her wages for shopping purposes. Copernicus was a shopper's paradise and Meyrin Hawke didn't want to miss the annual discount season. Being assigned in Copernicus, she felt really lucky because she could buy any clothes of any style she wanted since Copernicus has a lot of famous boutiques and fashion districts.

She walked to her wardrobe, opened it and stood in front of it for a while thinking what she should wear. After a few minutes of thinking and wondering, finally she decided on a denim shorts and a pastel pink tank-top. _This is summer after all, and nobody is going to see me in such outfit like these,_ she thought as she put those on her body.

She walked out from her room to the direction of the living room while wondering about how quiet her flat was. She used to live together with her sister Lunamaria, and both of them usually became very noisy during those hours, whether they were having a fight for the television channel or about dinner. She set a small smile on her face as she dropped herself comfortably onto a couch while her right hand grabbed the television remote control and then turned the TV on. She switched the channel from one to another lazily, as if there was nothing that able to satisfy her. Tired of pointlessly changing the channel, she walked to her kitchen while she wondered what she should cook for dinner. She was about to open the refrigerator to see what was inside it until she heard someone in front of her flat door was pressing the bell repeatedly, furiously, continuously until she was so sure that she would definitely kill the guy afterwards.

She walked to the door while she pressed a button on the intercom. She really recognized the guy who was standing in front of her door. So instead of greeted the guy politely, she greeted him with the most sarcastic tone she could make, saying "Gerald. It's late. What do you want?"

"YoOOoOoOoHhooOOOoooOOoOoOOOOOooooOO!!!!" the guy in front of the door replied her with awfully cheerful tone, "Meyrin honey bunny sweetie tweety donkey! Won't you open your door for me?"

"What business brings you here, Gerald?" she asked him back, knowing that her dumb superior wouldn't easily give up, "It's late"

Suddenly, the guy's face turned serious, totally different from a few seconds before saying "I can't tell you here. Please let me in, okay? Besides…" suddenly he grinned stupidly as he showed two packages in front of the camera saying, "…I've bought you your favourite noodles for your dinner! With extra roasted pork and ginger chicken!"

"Thanks", she smiled a little and then opened the door allowing the guy to come in, "So, what brings you here, Gerald?"

"Hmm, not much", the guy grinned stupidly as he sat on the couch without even asking Meyrin's permission, "They've intruded to my flat"

"HUH?" she replied with disbelief as she took two bowls from the kitchen and then filled two glasses with mineral water, "Intruded?"

"Yeah. My flat is no longer safe now. They've even tried to take the data inside my PC but they didn't make it"

"Why?" she asked as she put the bowl and the glass onto the dining table.

"It's simply because I didn't put anything dangerous inside my computer! Haha!" the guy called Gerald suddenly stood and then walked towards the dining table direction, "I always trust you to keep our research data, and then I'll do the offensive move while keeping you save at the same time"

"I'm not that weak, Gerald" Meyrin set a small pout on her face while she served the noodles to Gerald "I've gone through the same training as any other agents. Besides, I used to be a military officer so I know basic self defence"

"I know, but still, I can't put you into danger, Meyrin"

"Too late", she stuck her tongue out as she said so "Now we both are in danger. We both are on the must-kill list of ZAFT radical faction. I wonder if the newly arisen Blue Cosmos wanted to kill both of us too…"

"Hey Meyrin don't scare me"

"Ooh, little Gerald is scared" she smiled devilishly as she teased her superior.

"Well, at least we should eat our dinner first, shall we?" Gerald said as he split the wooden chopsticks into two parts.

"Hey, Gerald, how do you know that I like this noodle with extra ginger chicken?" she asked as she split her chopsticks into two parts.

"Well, my detective instincts told me so" he grinned as he was chewing a few strands of noodles "Cool, huh?"

"Nope. Gerald, you are way too dumb to be a detective" she smiled a little as she said so and then started eating.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She sighed. Again. She didn't even know how many times she had sighed. The info Kira had given to her was simply the cause of her continuous sighs.

"Hello, Cagalli?"

She closed both of her eyes slowly as her mind recalled what she had heard from Kira a few hours before.

Actually Orb was facing a difficult situation. The new Earth Alliance Secretary General was persuading Orb to join it while inside the government there were a few emirs who secretly contacted the Earth Alliance and saying that they would persuade the chief representative to abandon the old Orb's ideology and join Earth Alliance. In fact, she really feared that the situation would be similar to two years ago when the Seirans and all emirs persuade her to side with Earth Alliance. She too young and too indecisive, so immature that she agreed to them believing that it was the best way for her, her people and the whole nation of Orb.

With the people inside the government of Orb siding with Earth Alliance, she would have to make sure that those people didn't discriminate the coordinators at Orb, recalling that the coordinators are not the majority population. Even though the people at Orb were holding the same belief as hers, she was not sure if the naturals would really appreciate coordinators the same way she did. It was not she didn't believe her people; it was just she's really scared about the probability of her ministers going to do some kind of revolution (although she was very sure they would not be able to do it since Kisaka was still loyal to her) and persuade her people to discriminate coordinators.

_Perhaps I should be stricter to those ministers? I'm the Princess after all, I can do anything if I really wanted to_, she thought so but she immediately shook her head shooing all those crazy thoughts from her head, _no, no, I won't and never be an authoritarian. I won't rule Orb with the hands of iron. I am not the female version of Adolf Hitler. Besides, Orb is a democratic country, and I'm not a communist—_

The thought of her being an authoritarian and communist shivers her and she immediately slapped both of her cheeks with her hands saying, "Oooh! Stop it! I am a democrat! I am a democratic royal birth! I am against authoritarianism! Phew…".

She didn't realize that she was talking to herself making a few officers at the front desk of the hotel laughed at her. Lucky they didn't realize she was the REAL Princess of Orb otherwise they would secretly took a picture of her slapping herself and then sold it to _yahoo!news_ or something similar to that. She also didn't realize at all that Athrun was standing by her side, staring at her terribly curiously. _Why would she mumble nonsense like that in front of the hotel receptionist? Even the officer on the phone was giggling at her! Surely something is really wrong with her_, he thought as he took the cards for both him and Cagalli still looking at her with more amount of curiosity.

She stopped slapping herself, took a deep breath and then let herself lost in her thoughts again.

"Hello? Cagalli, are you there?" Athrun had tried calling her twice but she didn't react to him at all. All she did was staying on her dreamland ignoring her surroundings.

Worse, Kira had told her that Orb was not going to face pressure from only Earth Alliance. Clyne Faction's spies were currently investigating on ZAFT's Radical Faction and they did find something really amazing yet concerning. The ZAFT's Radical Faction current leader, Andre Flemmington, had made contact with the Sahaku family and now was planning a certain thing, probably to get Cagalli out from her throne.

The Sahakus were planning on ditching her out from her throne in order to gain the full authority. However, they didn't do it the same way as the Seirans since they didn't have an heir, instead of an heir, they just have an heiress. The traditional way for getting full authorities was marriage but since their third generation is a female they couldn't get her married with Cagalli unless—

Imagining herself with her cousin, Cagalli slapped herself once again. _HELL NO I'M NOT A LESBIAN!!_, she shouted silently inside her mind, _I'M STRAIGHT! I LOVE A GUY AND HE IS SO DAMN HO—. Oh wait why I think this way… There's no way Athrun is hot… Well actually he IS, no wonder bunch of girls crazy for him… WHOA! What am I thinking!,_ and then she slapped herself harder and faster.

Realizing that Cagalli was daydreaming again, he tried to snap her out from her thought but he didn't make it. She didn't wake up from her daydreams, and she kept on staring blankly on the marble floor, wondering something he could not know about.

_Gosh!_, she thought as she stared blankly on the floor, _Kira said that the Sahakus had made a few secret meeting with Andre Flemmington without my knowledge. The Sahakus were definitely on ZAFT's side and they were planning to ditch me out from my throne! Man! What are they thinking now? After encouraging Morgenroete to produce weapons for Earth Alliance four years ago, now they are planning to side with ZAFT? But I don't have any proofs to bring the Sahakus to the national court! Perhaps I should tell Kisaka to investigate them… Or maybe—_

"Cagalli! Wake up!!"

_Perhaps being an authoritarian was the only way to maintain peace in Orb… But I don't wanna be the second Marie Antoinette! Oh wait I'm not a typical Princess who always spends national budgets for buying marvellous dresses_, she thought while she unconsciously bit her lips thinking hard about getting rid of the internal affairs inside her country.

"HEY! Ca-ga-lli!!!!" Athrun grabbed both of her shoulders causing her to gasp suddenly to express her surprise as he gazed deep into her amber eyes, "Are you okay?"

"Huh!? Athrun? Am I okay? Yeah, I am. What's wrong with you?" she asked him back with an innocent expression which made Athrun sighed heavily, as heavy as he could.

"I think I am the one who should be asking about your condition, Cagalli" he replied as he held her shoulders tighter.

"Huh? Why?" her eyes widened in childish manner as she replied him.

"Because you have been daydreaming for the past twenty minutes"

"I did?"

"Yeah, you did"

"Really?" she gaped at him. He wanted to remind her not to daydreaming in front of the hotel front desk but seeing her gaping at him somehow made him smile and wanted to caress her face but he wouldn't do it since the hotel officers were still giggling at her stupidity.

"Yeah. Now you should get into your room. You need to rest" he held her hand and then walked to the elevator as he pressed the close button and then he handed her the card key she would need to get in to her room.

She received it dispiritedly saying "Thank you".

"What happened with you?" he asked feeling curious about her sudden slow reaction.

"Nothing, Athrun"

He gazed at her while pressing the buttons for their destination floor and then examined her look. She had been setting that kind of desperate expression ever since their dinner at Lacus' mansion. He wondered if Kira had told her something bad or horrible but he didn't bother himself to ask her since he had no rights to tamper with her business. She was the Princess of Orb after all and he was just an ordinary commoner, moreover he wasn't an Orb citizen to begin with. He looked at how her eyes shone with full of worries and he was really tempted to ease her worries. However he didn't know what the cause of her worries were so he decided to remain quiet, trying his best not to tamper with her business even though he really wanted to see her smile cheerfully as if she had no burdens.

Meanwhile on their journeys to the twenty-third floor, she didn't speak anything to him. She just pointlessly playing with her card key while her mind was wondering to somewhere else nobody knows. She was really worried that she didn't even realize that someone who was standing before her had become uneasy just looking at her fully-burdened face. She sighed heavily as she kept playing with her card-key, until she finally decided to break the silence occurred between those two.

"Athrun?"

"Hmm?" feeling a bit surprised at her calling him suddenly "What is it, Cagalli?"

She gazed at him dispiritedly and then replied "Nothing. I just wanna call your name"

Actually, what scared her most was not her emirs' plan to persuade her to join Earth Alliance or the Sahakus' plan to ditch her out from her throne. She wasn't scared to face another war again. What she feard the most was her not being able to call him "Athrun" again; she didn't want to call him "Chairman Zala" or something like that. Being together with him had brought her old smile once again and had brightened her cloudy days.

Athrun looked at her amber eyes and he found out that she was feeling terribly uneasy inside. He moved closer towards her and then suddenly pulled her inside his embrace.

"Athrun! What the-", she was terribly surprised by his sudden action and she was about to push him away from her since her mind was so cloudy that she couldn't think anymore.

"Hey, don't push me" he said as he gently caressed her hair and inhaling her delightful scent "I want you to know something, Cagalli"

"What, huh? Hey, Athrun will you let me go? What if someone suddenly pressed the open button and they saw us in this position-"

He smiled slyly as she said "I'll tell you if you don't push me away until we reached the twenty-third floor"

"Huh? What kind of request is that?"

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Meyrin took a few strands of noodles with her chopsticks as he took a glance at her so-called superior who was eating his noodles happily as if there were no burdens.

Gerald Harrison. The first time she met him, she was a bit surprised. Gerald was much taller than her and he was quite good looking. He had dark brown hair and yeah, his hair was a bit scruffy but you could tell that he liked his hair being a little bit scruffy since he wasn't the type that cares about his appearance very much. Apparently, he had a pair of emerald eyes, the exact same eyes as Meyrin's first crush, Athrun Zala. However his personality was VERY different from Athrun. Gerald was always incredibly cheerful and sometimes he mocked himself that would make him look even stupider. Despite his foolish behaviours, he was a very sharp detective and everyone in the ZAFT investigation bureau respected him.

The first time she met him was rather unpleasant to be remembered since Gerald keep commenting about her clumsiness. However Gerald really admired Meyrin for her unbeatable hacking ability and her strong will despite her gentleness and her childish side. Sometimes he would tease her for her passion for shopping as well as her clumsiness. Being teased by her superior, Meyrin tried her best to ignore him and teased Gerald back in reply.

"Meyrin, how's the noodles?" he suddenly asked as he took another fried wonton to satisfy his hunger.

"Hmm? Yeah I like it. Why did you ask?" she replied as she took another ginger chicken. Gerald really knew Meyrin's preferences even though they knew each other only for a year or so.

"Because you are staring at me. Am I that handsome?"

"Hell no!!" she quickly stuffed a piece of chicken into her mouth to prevent another insults out from her mouth. Seriously Gerald was way too narcissi to be her superior.

"hey Meyrin" he started changing topics "You're not afraid?"

"Huh? What for?"

"Getting fat"

"Gerald, you're getting on my nerves but…" she stared at her noodle then continued "…well this noodle is way too delicious to be ignored…"

He stared at her for a few seconds and then chuckled. Meyrin who was enjoying eating her noodles suddenly get pissed at Gerald and then put her chopsticks on the top of her bowl saying, "What are you laughing at?"

"Huh? Ha-ha. Nothing. Really nothing. I just thought that you are a unique girl"

"What makes you think that way?"

"Well, you like being fashionable yet you hate diet very much. Besides, you are a true gastronome! You can easily find nice places to get delicious foods! That's why you are unique, Meyrin! Ha-ha! That's what I like very much about you"

Meyrin smiled gently at him as she ate her noodles again saying "You know, you are the first person who said that personally to me"

"Heh? How come?"

"Because in my whole life people always keep comparing me to my sister Lunamaria. They keep saying Lunamaria this, Lunamaria this, Meyrin this, Meyrin that. Lunamaria is taller than Meyrin. Lunamaria is more attractive than Meyrin. Lunamaria is a red coat while Meyrin is just an ordinary officer. Lunamaria is cheerful while Meyrin is shy. Lunamaria is bold for wearing miniskirt while Meyrin is kinda boring for wearing standard style uniform. Gosh. I'm sick of them"

"Really? How cruel"

"Well, thanks to think that way because sometimes people don't realize how I'm feeling deep inside at all. They keep comparing…" she paused for a while to let a heavy sigh out from her mouth "…they even say that Lunamaria is prettier than me just because I weigh more than her… I did want to punch them right in front of their nose but I did nothing…"

"Then what did you do?"

"Instead of expressing my anger, I tried wearing her mini skirt to ensure myself that I'm not fat but…"

"…but?"

"…it didn't fit me" she said as she continued eating, "Then I realized that being together with my sister won't make me be recognized by my surroundings"

"I see. So that's why you really wanted to quit the military as soon as possible"

"Well, there is one more reason actually?"

"What is that?" he quickly finished his last strands of noodles and then brought the bowl to the sink.

"I won't tell you"

"What if I knew it already?" he grinned evilishly as he stared at Meyrin, "I am a detective after all, Meyrin. And truth to be told, you are the newbie not me"

"But it's not detective's task to tamper with someone's love life is it?" she was about to glare at him but she realized that she had accidentally revealed her secret to her dumb superior.

"Eureka! Little Meyrin has just revealed her secret! So tell me who's the guy?" he grinned naughtily as he walked to the direction where Meyrin hanged her photographs.

Meyrin had a lot of photographs. Most of them were taken during her assignment at Minerva, so basically the people inside the photograph were Shinn, Lunamaria, Vino, Rey Za Burrel and a lot of her CIC friends. However she managed herself to take a photograph of Athrun without him noticing her.

"Let me see…" He carefully examined the people inside the photograph "…I wanna guess-"

"Gerald, I'll definitely tell you if I feel like doing it" she said as she finished the last strand of noodles and then she cleaned the bowls inside her kitchen.

"Actually I can investigate it but…" he walked further from the photographs and then headed closer to Meyrin, "…since you're going to tell me about him, then I guess I have to suppress my detective instincts, right?"

"Well, I wonder if I can survive from ZAFT's radical faction again… You know, being poisoned once isn't a pleasurable experience"

"Then all you have to do is trust me" he grinned as he pat Meyrin's shoulders saying "because I will protect you with all that I am! Trust me"

_Protect me?_, she wondered as she was busy washing the dishes. She set small smile on her face as she felt her cheeks were turning hotter.

"Thanks. I'll do my best in this investigation too, Sir"

"Finally! You called me 'Sir'! I like it"

"Only special occasions though" she turned to him sticking her tongue out to tease him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking beside her, Athrun accompanied Cagalli to her room but deep inside he could still feel her uneasiness. They kept walking in silence, no one tried to bring a topic up to be talked together. She was really deep in her thoughts. She had a lot of worries and problems to deal with after she finished her stuff at PLANT. Keep walking; keep walking until finally both of them reached the door of her room.

"Athrun, thanks for accompanying me…" she turned to him to thank him but she was surprised by his sudden hug. Athrun who was desperate to ease her uneasiness suddenly hugged her, hoping that he would be able to reduce her worries although he knew he wouldn't be able.

However, there was one thing he wanted to tell her.

"Athrun?"

"Cagalli, listen" he tightly yet lovingly embraced her as he continued, "I don't know what's going on with Orb but…"

He loosened up his embrace so he would be able to look at her face and when he found her gaping curiously at him, he gave her a gentle smile saying "…I'll be by your side, protecting you with all that I am"

Cagalli just stared at him, her eyes widened as both of her cheeks grew redder and redder. He caressed her cheek with one of his hands as he suddenly felt her hugging him back in reply. She didn't care if there were anybody else in that hallway staring at both of them; all she wanted now was staying inside his embrace.

"Thank you, Athrun. I'll be protecting you as well"

* * *

**Author's note:** Hey GUYZ!!! NII IS BACK!!! Say. Before you guys review please answer my question. Which one do you prefer, metre or Inches? I'm going to make a scene that will involve distances so I hope you will answer my question in your reviews. Thank you very much.

Kimi wo mamoritai: I want to protect you

Sorry if this chapter is crappy, I have to re-type this thank you to those malicious Trojans :p and i hate writing the same thing twice :D

MORE ROMANCE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

To my friend SamuraiGirl7, perhaps i'll need your help on next chapter... :D i'm counting on you :)

God bless you all.


	22. Ore no Hime

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own what Fukuda owns. It's so simple and easy. LOL.**** In other words, GS and GSD aren't mine. Perhaps someday they would be mine :D**

Thank you very much to Jesus Christ who has given me the strength and inspirations to write this chapter.

* * *

_**Chapter 22: **__**Ore no Hime**_

"Oh crap"

She dug inside her bag and her pockets; she kept searching for something important to her yet after minutes of searching pointlessly she still hadn't found it. She had lost her hotel room spare card-key. Of course the hotel manager wouldn't charge her fine for losing the card key but if someone with evil intentions found it and did something horrible to her—

"I think I brought my stun gun and hand gun here just in case…" she murmured as she walked to the direction of the place where she put her luggage and found her stun gun and hand gun. She was at PLANT, Aprilius-2 to be precise yet she didn't bring her bodyguards along with her since Kira and Lacus' wedding was a private celebration; they didn't invite a lot of people and media. Both Kira and Lacus agreed in only inviting close friends and colleagues so there wouldn't be a lot of people at the wedding reception. Besides they arranged a press conference to satisfy the media.

She took her stun gun and hand gun out from her luggage, brought them along with her and then she sat on her chair in front of her desk with her laptop turned on already. She was checking her mail and her subordinate's reports. She wasn't about to let herself know less about her country's internal affair. She had contacted Kisaka and Amagi too regarding the new Blue Cosmos and ZAFT radical faction, along with a top-secret mail she sent to both of them regarding her suspicion towards the family of Sahaku.

She kept opening her mail, checking them one by one as she massaged her temple.

"Damn headache" She scowled as her fingers tapped the keyboards replying the reports and archiving her mail. Anna was at Orb helping her with her reports; she was the one who decided which reports Cagalli should check by herself. Anna would be handling the rest of the reports. Cagalli had two mail accounts, one for working purposes and the other one was for private messaging. There were only a few people who knew her private e-mail address; some of them were Athrun, Kira, Lacus, Kisaka, Amagi, Anna her secretary and the Prince of Scandinavia whom she was close too since the end of the second Bloody Valentine War.

She was checking both her mail accounts; still with her guns beside her and she was in total awareness since she had lost her card key and someone might get into her room and attacked her and her being helplessly attacked was an unpleasant imagination. She thanked herself for having been joined the Resistance Fighter during her teens; somehow it had increased her combat skills. However she never used them ever since the end of First Bloody Valentine War due to her responsibility as the Chief Representative of Orb. Being the Chief Representative she no longer needed her gun, all she needed were her bodyguards, in other words, a certain guy under the alias Alex Dino.

She kept checking her inbox; her private messages to be precise. Most of them were from Kisaka and Todaka regarding top-secret matters that even the emirs didn't know about, there was also mail from Athrun (he asked her to go out with him on the week-ends but unfortunately she refused due to her responsibilities), Kira (about his investigation on Blue Cosmos and ZAFT's Radical Faction), Lacus (asking her to be her maid-of-honour) and many more.

She stopped typing her replies and massaged her temples since she felt like she was having a headache and her headache wouldn't go away as easily as she thought. She tried her best to ignore the stinging pain inside her head and check a mail that had caught her attention.

The mail was from the Prince of Scandinavia, Karl Anders Rosvaenge. She was really close with the Scandinavian Royal Family which consists of the King, Torsten Ingvar Rosvaenge, the Queen Eira Weichsel Rosvaenge, and the Prince's little sister, Princess Nissa Helgi Rosvaenge.

She immediately opened the mail and read it.

_To: Cagalli Yula Athha_

_From: Karl Anders Rosvaenge_

_Hi Cagall,. _

_It's been a few weeks since we saw each other at the ball. How's everything going at Orb? Hope you are doing well there._

_Actually I want to inform you something important via Private Messages. As we both __know__, The Earth Alliance really wants Orb and the Kingdom of Scandinavia to join them. However __my father and I__ constantly refused their request since Scandinavia is a neutral country after all. Apparently nothing seems wrong with our refusal but slowly the Earth Alliance began to show their pressure against us for our military forces are not as strong as Orb's and if they went all out on us, we would definitely be doomed._

_The Kingdom of Belgium who was a member of the Earth Alliance requested a political marriage with my little sister Nissa and we refused it. We have a lot of reasons to refuse it but there are two main reasons; the first one is Nissa really hates the Prince of Belgium (She said, _"Oh f-ck off! I would not marry that 4ssh0le even if he was the last guy alive in this very universe! I'd rather die being an old virgin rather than marrying that jack4ss! Why wouldn't you just go to the Gay Rights department and marry him instead, Karl?"_ Man, Nissa sure is good when it comes to speaking foul words like those, lucky our mother didn't heard her saying so otherwise it would end up with something bad, you know…) and the second reason is Kingdom of Belgium is a part of Earth Alliance so we will not accept their request._

_I know Orb currently was receiving pressure from Earth Alliance but I'm sure that they would give up eventually. I don't think they would be able to win over your tough believes. However if we both combined our force I'm sure we'll be able to maintain our neutrality. Besides, my Father agreed to the idea of the combined force and if you are willing to do so then we would gladly come to Orb to properly discuss this matter. _

_Well, I think that's all for now. And…I want you to know that I'm still waiting for you to change your mind about one year ago…_

_-Karl-_

----xXx----

She sighed. She wasn't thinking about the combined force between Orb and the Kingdom of Scandinavia. She thought it would be very beneficial to both Orb and Scandinavia since they both could form a relationship that was similar to mutualism symbioses; Orb had the latest technology in weaponry yet lacked of human resources while Scandinavia had a lot of human resources yet its' weaponry technology hadn't developed as advanced as Orb's.

She rubbed her forehead again; her headache was getting worse and worse.

"_I want you to know that I'm still waiting for you to change your mind about one year ago…"_

That sentence kept echoing in her mind as she sighed heavily again. Karl, the Prince of Scandinavia, had proposed to her the previous year and she knew that until she had opened that mail, he still had his feelings towards her.

"Love life affairs always come later." She murmured as she stood from her chair, heading to her luggage searching something inside it hoping that she would find an aspirin to reduce the pain in her head.

She decided to take a shower, hoping that it would refresh her mind a bit. She took a towel and bathrobe, and promptly entered her bathroom. She brought a gun in too, in case there would be a psycho who tried to harm her during her bathing. It had happened once when she stayed in Berlin for some conference, someone had hacked through her room door and that time she forgot her gun, luckily her bodyguards were around so she was safe after all. But after that time, she had sworn herself to bring a gun with her everywhere she goes if her bodyguards were not around.

After she had entered the bathroom, she hung the towel and bathrobe on the hanger, and put her gun on some dry place near it. She unbuttoned her shirts, took it off, and then tossed it to the floor. She quickly took all of her clothes off and she turned on the shower. She let the warm water flow through her and enjoyed the feeling very much.

Meanwhile, Athrun was standing before her room door holding her spare card key. He wanted to return it to her but he couldn't ring the bell because she had pressed the 'do not disturb' button, so he couldn't ask her permission to enter her room. He couldn't just stand there the whole night, so he decided to use her spare card key to enter her room. He inserted the card key into its hole, and the door opened. He held the knob, and entered her room.

Cagalli was having a good shower when she suddenly heard something that sounded like someone entering her room without her permission. She quickly washed the remaining soap foams from her body, and then turned the shower off. She was well aware of the probability of someone suspicious trying to kidnap her and the war had sharpened her senses and reflexes. She abruptly dried and clad herself with the bathrobe, tied it perfunctorily. She took her hand gun, removed the safety lock, and had her fingers ready to pull its trigger. She walked silently to the door, quietly turned its knob, and then rushed herself out with her gun pointed at someone's direction—

"DON'T MOVE!" She shouted as she pointed her gun to at the person.

Athrun, who was surprised by her sudden movements and with her gun pointed at him, recalled that he was unarmed at the moment; so he just lifted both of his hands, while he gazed confusedly at her.

"Huh? It's just Athrun…" She looked a bit disappointed yet relieved and sighed, but she remembered something and continued, "Hey, you're not supposed to be here! You couldn't have been able to enter my room unless you-"

"-have the spare card key." He interrupted her lowered both of his hands and then took something from his pocket, which was her spare card key. She gaped at it, unable to grasp the truth.

"How come you can have it?" She asked in disbelieve.

"I forgot to give it to you" He answered, "Sorry for that."

"Well, I've just noticed it after I had entered my room-" She replied, her gun still pointed at him.

"Oh I see…" He nodded, and then unconsciously he gazed at her figure. Her bathrobe wasn't tied properly, and because of that, it had given away some parts of her body. It had exposed her bosom a little, and revealed some parts of her bare legs.

He didn't want to stare at her but unfortunately his eyes were out of his control and he could do nothing but to stare at her, admiring her delicate figure. He wanted to be a nice guy, but unfortunately he couldn't fulfil his will. He wasn't gay, he was a normal guy, and of course he wanted to see. The truth was half of his self wanted to slap his perverted thoughts out from his head and stop his staring at her, while the other half wanted to continue enjoying the magnificent view.

At first she didn't notice his gazing at her, but she felt an awkward silence occurred between them. And the moment she looked at him, she had found him gaping at her, and he went red in the face a little. Curious at the reason why he stared so intensely at her, she took a look at herself. The moment she did she realized that her tying the bathrobe improperly was the reason. She comprehend also that it had revealed a little part of her bosom and legs, and suddenly she went extremely embarrassed, and her face went all deep red, even redder than him.

He was staring at her so immensely that he didn't realize her putting the safety lock of her gun back (so it wouldn't fire pointlessly). She glanced at him and found out that he was still standing there, gaping at her like an idiot. While her thoughts of cursing him popped out into her head, she threw her gun, aiming at his head-

"OUCH!" He shouted as the gun hit directly to his head and looked at her amber eyes, which were now full of anger and satisfaction, mostly because her direct hit deserved to get a combo if it was done in a video game. He was a bit bewildered and rubbed his head to lessen the pain.

"That's for gaping like an idiot for almost one minute." She said in a sarcastic tone with her blushing face and then proceed to enter the bathroom again, murmuring, "Geez, males, coordinator or natural, they are the same dim-witted being."

She opened the bathroom door, but then she glanced back at him, saying, "Don't even try to take a peek or else I'll shoot you to death!" And then she slammed the door behind her, locking it twice to make sure it was safe for her to continue taking a shower.

He caught that sarcastic tone she had used before, but he couldn't help not to smile. Although it was his blunder, he had to admit that she had a very nice figure. He looked downwards, and realized that the gun that she had been used to hit him straight to his head was lying on the floor. He bent down to take it and when he had taken it he examined the gun and discovered that the gun had its safety lock attached properly. He smiled at it; she didn't repeat the same mistake twice. At the first time they met each other on a deserted island she threw a gun carelessly without noticing that she hadn't attached the safety lock on it, resulting in a pointless shot which had hit him. While he was deep in his thoughts the bathroom door suddenly opened revealing Cagalli who had her bathrobe tied properly so he couldn't enjoy the same view twice, with a frown on her face.

Startled, he just stared confusedly at her, while still holding her gun.

"Give it back to me!" She said harshly, and promptly took the gun from him by force and then she closed the bathroom door again.

He just smiled at her behaviour. She was rude and short-tempered. However, her rudeness was something that he liked about her. Actually he liked everything about her. After all, loving someone so deeply was definitely not a sin and he had attached himself tightly to her. He sat on a couch and realized that she hadn't taken her spare card key back. It was still in his hands. She forgot to take it back, probably because his staring at her a few minutes ago. She only bothered to take her gun, not her spare card key.

For some reasons, he thought of leaving the spare card key on her desk and leaving her room, but when he saw what had been lying on it, he cancelled his plans. He saw her laptop there, it was on its' stand-by stance; and her stun gun was there too. She was in her full awareness because of some reasons he didn't know.

_So she's going to do her work even though I've told her to rest more_, he thought, _perhaps I should stay here to make sure that she would get more sleep tonight._

He inserted the spare card key into his pocket and although in the beginning he regretted taking it, now he didn't. He was trying to figure a way to prevent her from overworking herself again that night, she had had that tired look on her face a few days ago and he didn't want it to happen again. He thought of hiding her laptop somewhere, but if some irresponsible people got it a big problem would occur because her laptop was full of Orb's top secrets. And he would probably die too.

While he was trying to figure another way, she had finished taking a shower and stepped out from the bathroom, clad in her pyjamas. When she looked another way, she was surprised to see that Athrun was still in her room, sitting on a couch.

"You!" She said in anger and disbelieve. "Why are you still here? Outta' my room!"

"Well, after you've slept of course" He smiled calmly and stood and walked towards her, "So, you're planning to do your work in this late at night, Cagalli?"

"Well, umm-" She tried to lie, but she couldn't so she just avoided his distinct gaze upon her.

"If that was true, then you've been trying to deceive me." He walked closer, and then he held her hand, still with the same distinct gaze, but this time it showed a bit of disappointment.

"I am not, okay?" She scowled, "I just nodded at your suggestion, and it didn't mean that I have to do what you've said, did it?"

"Well, it didn't, but-" He stroked her hair with his fingers, saying gently, "-I don't want you to work yourself that hard. You've been suffering from headache since the morning, haven't you?"

She looked at his emerald eyes, and her heart filled with guilt as she did it. His kind voice always conquered her stubbornness, and somehow, it always filled her heart with guilt. He really cared for her, and she was very glad to have someone caring for her the way he did. She was never able to resist his gentleness, so, knowing that she had no other choice, she sighed heavily.

"Okay, I will go to bed earlier, but at least allow me to do my remaining work for thirty minutes. Trust me." She answered hesitantly.

"Very well then. But if that's the case-" He held her shoulders tightly, "-I'll wait until you've slept."

"He—y" She frowned to him, "You didn't trust me."

"Well, I trust you but-" He smiled slyly, "-I just want to watch over you."

"You're being annoying." She said while she had had her hands on her hips in a cocky stance, "Oh, wait a minute, you're always annoying when it comes to this stuff."

He just smiled at her feisty behaviour, and then replied, "Well, I just want to watch over you, is that a sin?"

"It is!" She said harshly, "Well, watching over me isn't a sin, but not trusting me is!"

"Oh, is that so?" He smirked and then pulled himself closer to her making her blush a little, "Then is that a sin for trying to lie to me?"

"Um, that is, uhh-" She tried to find the right phrase to say but she couldn't so she ended up replied him by saying, "Fine! But make sure you get your ass out of my room after I've finished working!"

"Sure I will, princess." Smiling, he dragged her closer to him until the distance between their faces slowly getting closer and closer, and she realized that her heart thumped faster as the distance slowly diminished.

"And don't even try to kiss me or call me princess again otherwise I'll ruin that pretty face of yours, Athrun!" She pushed him away, moved towards her desk, and then said, "Wait on the couch. And don't disturb me."

"If that's what you want, Cagalli." He smiled naughtily at her and then sat on the couch waiting for her before she tried to kill him for real.

----30 minutes later-----

"Cagalli, it's-", Athrun looked at the clock on the wall which had had its long hand pointing at six and its short hand between ten and eleven. In other words, she had been working from ten o'clock until half past ten.

"I know" She interrupted him, "But I can't just leave this halfway. Give me ten minutes, please."

He looked at the clock, and then answered, "Okay then, ten minutes"

----10 minutes later----

"Cagalli, it's-"

"I know. But I'm nearly finished it, just give me another ten minutes."

"Fine. Another ten minutes."

----10 minutes later----

"Cagalli, it's-"

"I know, I know. But I've nearly finished it; just give me another ten minutes."

"Fine. Another ten minutes."

----10 minutes later----

"Cagalli, you should've-"

"I know, I know, I KNOW, Athrun." She quickly replied him, "Five minutes."

----15 minutes later----

Athrun looked at the clock, and then he sighed. It was 11:15, and she was still working. Knowing her really well, he was aware of the fact that she wouldn't want to stop working unless there would be an earthquake or tsunami or anything similar to those. And he was surprised at the rate she had been enduring the pain; she was a strong-willed person, if you didn't want to label her as a stubborn woman. She was turning twenty, yet she still had the same persistence as when she was sixteen.

He looked at her and he recognised that her face showed some tiredness, but it didn't show any signs of giving up. Sighing, he was out of ideas of getting her as far as possible from her laptop and documents. He walked silently towards her direction, luckily she didn't notice him. He stood behind her, and from her back, he saw two gleaming icons on the screen of her laptop. It was the auto-document-recovery software and auto-update-save software.

One crazy idea popped up into that coordinator brain of his. Now he had figured a way to stop her from overworking herself. He knew that it was insane to do that, not to mention that he had to face her rage, but he was prepared to take the risks no matter what.

Slowly, he strode en route for her until he had reached her side, and then he called her name.

"Cagalli"

"Sorry, but, three minutes more, Athrun, just three-", she replied while her fingers still typed furiously at her keyboard.

"Look at me." He promptly interrupted her, and then lowered himself so he could maintain close distance with her.

"Huh-?"She looked confused at his request, but she just followed it. He smiled at her bewildered face and innocent amber eyes, which had put more fault into his self.

_I'm sorry to do this, Cagalli_, he thought inside his heart, _but you won't stop working unless I'm doing this._

"Yo, Athrun, are you calling me just for looking at my face? She asked impatiently, "Am I that fascinating to-"

He quickly pressed his lips onto hers, cutting all her objections off. Her eyes widened at first, but a few milliseconds later, she had closed them.

Athrun silently put his hand on a certain button on her laptop, and then he pushed it to turn it off forcefully. And then, he broke the kiss carefully. She was puzzled at his sudden action, but when she glanced the opposite way, she was acknowledgeable about his turning her laptop off.

"ATHRUN ZALA!" She yelled at him while both of her hands were pushing him, "How dare you-"

"Oh yes, princess, you have to stop no matter what" He smirked at her, "Besides, you have the auto-document-recovery software and auto-update-save software, am I right? You don't have to worry, because you won't lose your precious work."

"It's true, but you can't just do that!" She shouted at him, and her expression exposed terrible fury. Somehow, he found that kind of expression was very cute, and he smiled meaningfully.

"Well, you have to sleep NOW, princess." He gave some accents to the word 'now', he had enough waiting, and he wanted her to recover from her sickness.

"I wouldn't sleep unless I've finished all of these stuffs-"

"And what about those 'ten minutes' of yours?" He argued her.

"It can't be helped!!" She yelled in reply.

"Surely, it can, Cagalli." From the look of his face, it was obvious that he showed the same amount of determination as hers and he walked to her direction slowly but certainly.

"What do you want?" She asked him harshly, knowing that he was hiding some suspicious acts from her.

"Nothing" He sneered.

"Oh, you're lying. Now, answer me, Athrun! What do you-" She didn't continue her sentence as she felt a pair of hands slide around her body and then grabbed it tight, lifted it…

He was carrying her by force, and she really hated him for doing so.

"AAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!" She shouted, and Athrun was sure it would cause severe damage to his eardrums, lucky the hotel had good quality noise redactor walls so her loud shouting wouldn't be heard by their neighbours, he didn't want to be accused of the crime trying to rape the Orb's Princess and Chief Representative.

"PUT ME DOWN, ZALA!!!" She shrieked angrily at him. She rarely called him by his surname; she only called him that way when she was terribly annoyed with his conduct. And that time, she was more than terribly annoyed, she was tremendously annoyed with him, and she was ready to choke him to death if she was given the chance to do it.

"Oh, be patient, princess, I'll put you down for sure when the time comes." He walked towards her bed, ignoring all her shouting and struggling. His being a coordinator had proven that he had more strength then naturals, and if he was a bit weaker, she could have been fallen down. She was struggling powerfully, so powerfully that he had to hold her as tight as he could to prevent her from falling down.

"Oh, you jerk!" She insulted him, still moving so violently that he had to tightened his grip, "PUT ME DOWN, ATHRUN ZALA!!!"

"I've told you that I will, okay?" Knowing that he had arrived beside her bed, he smiled meaningfully and then he proceed to release her, saying, "Now, I will put you down-" He dropped her on her bed carefully, but her struggling had made it rather difficult, "-on your bed."

She plunged onto her bed with some loud bumping voice thanks to her struggling, and she was a bit out of breath. She panted hastily in order to fulfil her needs for oxygen and to regain her senses.

The moment she had gained her senses she proceeded to get up from her bed but suddenly, Athrun had placed himself on top of her, prevent her from escaping, and he had his face so close to hers, it was only a few inches.

"You!" She said heatedly, "How dare-"

"Oh, just shut up, Cagalli." He immediately pressed his lips firmly onto hers, kissing her fiercely, cutting all of her protests and objections off. She couldn't break free from him, because he had restrained both of her hands from doing any further movements.

Later, he found out that it was the most pleasurable way to shut a feisty and loud-mouthed princess like her up. Even so, he didn't want any other guy to kiss her the way he did, and if they did it, he would happily skin them alive, or torture them slowly to death. He felt her struggling growing weaker as the time elapsed, and finally, she stopped struggling.

She wanted to be mad at him but unfortunately she couldn't because he always knew how to melt her heart and to soften her rage. She cursed herself for being so weak and futile, and for subjecting to his will. She felt his tongue coaxed her lips, persuading her to open it and let it in, and, once again, she cursed herself for giving the permission to do it.

Both of them spent a few minutes kissing each others fiercely and passionately, each of them fought for dominance in that heated moment. Their breaths were short and fast and she could feel her heart beat faster and harder that she feared he might hear it, but she couldn't think about anything at that time, she was caught in the heat of the moment, and she could do nothing but to reply his kisses with the same amount of desire. His way of kissing her had turned her mind cloudy. In some ways, she had forgotten her rage upon him.

A few seconds later, she stopped the kiss. She couldn't hold her breath longer than that. When he realized her stopping gradually, he stopped too, and then gazed at her face, smiling. He was still on top of her, though.

When she had regained some air and sanity again, she realized that she was supposed to be angry at him. And when she found out that he was smirking at her again, she was really mad.

"You arrogant bastard." She said with low but sarcastic tone.

He just smiled to her as a reply for her insult, but then she pushed him hard so she could sit on her bed, and he managed himself to sit beside her on the bed. He pulled the blanket so it would cover her up to her thigh, and then he turned all the lamps inside that room off from the panel beside her bed.

"No, I want to finish it-" She tried to escape, but he quickly grabbed one of her arms so she couldn't do it, and he pulled her towards him, which had caused her to fall ungracefully onto the bed.

He was lying on her bed as if it wasn't her only bed, he did it innocently. Immediately, he put his arms around her waist, and forced her to sleep in his embrace, facing him.

"Athrun! Let me go!" She put both of her hands on his chest, trying to push him away but she wasn't able to do it, he had more strength compared to her, besides, she was already exhausted to begin with. And she had to admit that her headache was getting worse, "Athrun! Please, let me go! You don't get the idea of how difficult my situation-"

"And that's the reason for you to sleep properly" He replied, tightened his embrace, "You can't work appropriately with that headache, can you?"

"Well, it's true, but-" She had loosened her struggling.

"No excuses, Cagalli." He smiled, assuring her, and then he kissed her forehead gently. "You have no choice but to sleep now, Princess."

She was about to argue him again, but she abandoned her will. Instead of arguing him, she just groaned as an expression of her annoyance and tiredness. Slowly, she realized that she had no power remaining in her, and her headache was worse than before, and with that stance, she wouldn't be able to resist him.

"Athrun?" She called out to him weakly.

"Hm?"

"Orb is currently facing a difficult situation, and I don't know if I can handle it-"

"If that's the case-" He caressed her lovingly, and continued, "-I'm sure that Cagalli Yula Athha would be able to get rid of it. All you have to do now is have a proper sleep for this night."

She inhaled deeply in frustration, but somehow, his delightful scent and warmth had made her relaxed and a bit sleepy. Knowing that her body had refused to move, she could do nothing, and she would just sleep.

"Whatever" She murmured, while slowly, she closed her eyes, and went to sleep.

He kept holding her inside his hands, embracing her, even after he had realized that she had been sleeping. He couldn't just let her go, he enjoyed hugging her very much, and also, he liked the way she slept in his embrace. Judging from how fast she went to sleep, he assumed that she was really tired, even though she managed to hide it from him. But in the end, she slept soundly inside his arms, and he ended up embracing her tenderly until he went to sleep too, still in that stance.

He admitted that he was being possessive at that time, but he couldn't help it. He was really afraid of losing her again.

Two years of not being able to see her was worse than hell and longer than eternity. He knew that it was entirely his fault not being able to keep in touch with her, but he was really scared back then. He had done so many awful things to her, and he was filled with guilt that at the end he had chosen to forget her. He thought that she was able to move on, to live her life separately without him in her heart. However, his predictions were wrong. In fact, she was hurt badly, even worse than him. With this, more deeds he had done to her. Until their last reunion at Copenhagen, he hadn't realized that she still had the same feelings as two years ago.

He didn't want to lose her again and he didn't want to repeat the same mistakes twice.

He wanted to protect her; his beloved one.

His princess.

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A furious brunette was sitting on his bed _(mind that Kira and Lacus were sleeping in separate bedrooms; they hadn't married yet!)_; both of his hands were in front of his chest. He was terribly annoyed yet curious at something. He had his cell phone in front of him, and on its screen, some writings appeared. Lacus had told him to phone Athrun to make sure that he wouldn't be late for their wedding since he was the best man and it wouldn't be funny if the best man turned up late. He had been calling him for a lot of times but—

_Athrun Zala – busy tone_

"There must be something wrong with him." He murmured, while finally he decided to go sleep and pulled his blanket to cover himself, and closed both of his amethyst eyes.

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Inside Athrun's room, no one slept there, Athrun was sleeping in Cagalli's room.

Little he did know that some writings had appeared on the screen of his cell phone which he had left on his desk.

Kira Yamato – 12 missed calls.

Athrun sure needed to prepare himself for facing _the-big-brother's-extreme-rage_ the next day.

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**Author's Note:** So? Whaddya think? Athrun would never do anything to Cagalli, not until they're married. I'm sure he's a nice guy who will respect her and wait for the right time to do it (well I personally think that the right time to do it was after marriage :p I'm not trying to be offensive here but if any of you guys feel offended by my statement then I'll humbly apologize to you all ) Please tell me. TELL ME!!! Please. YARDS or METRES? INCHES or CENTIMETRES? Please keep on responding on my question :) 

Once again, thank you very much to Jesus Christ who had given me the strength to write this chappie ;)

Thanks to SamuraiGirl7 who's willing to help me by editing some chapters from _Promises_ :D

God Bless you all

PS: sorry if this chapter is way too long but I can't just cut it. The chapter title means _**"My Princess"**_


	23. Watashi no Ouji

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own GS/GSD. I'm hungry right now and running out of good disclaimer.

Thanks to Jesus Christ for His blessings and guidance.

GRAMMAR SUX!

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_**Chapter 23: **__**Watashi no Ouji**_

Although the bed inside her room was supposed to accommodate only one person, there were two persons on it. A midnight-blue-haired-guy and a blonde girl were sleeping on it, and judging from the way they slept, it seemed that nothing had happened the night before.

Nothing. It was really nothing. Both of them were sleeping soundly.

Cagalli was still sleeping inside his embrace, and Athrun was still sleeping while embracing her. Although Cagalli never felt comfortable when it comes to sharing bed with someone else, Athrun was an exception, because she was sleeping tightly when she was with him.

Half past five in the morning. It was very silent at Aprilius, and yeah, no traffic jams. The air was still clear and fresh, although it was an artificial one. Nobody was awake at that time, except a few twenty-four-hours shopkeepers, and some security guards. That was the time for people enjoying their last minutes under the warm blanket while being surrounded by the peacefulness of the dawn.

However, no matter how early it was, a blonde slowly opened both of her amber eyes. At first, she found her vision was a blurred, but it was a matter of time until it would be cleared. And when she could see clearly again, she was surprised when she had realized that the first thing she saw when she had fully opened her eyes was Athrun. She gasped in disbelief, but then she rewind her memory fragment, and recalled the reason why he was there, with both of his hands around her, restrained her from any escape attempt. She smiled a little, probably to herself, and then tried to get up from the bed.

Unfortunately, it was a bit difficult since his grip upon her was quite strong. She tried to struggle from it as gently as she could, but she was unable to do it. She sighed, and gazed at him.

Even though he was still sleeping, he was as gorgeous as ever, and the peaceful atmosphere emitted from him made her smiled a little. He was breathing steadily, and somehow, she felt extremely soothed just by looking at him. He was the person she had longed for, and there was a space inside her heart which was permanently his, and she was not about to give it to anyone else. She admitted that he was the gentlest person she had ever met, and the most caring one.

Slowly and carefully, she brought her fingers to touch his cheek gently, and as her fingers touched the skin of his cheek, she unconsciously blushed, but she didn't stop. Somehow, she imagined that if she was the princess in distress, he was her knight in gleaming armour, risking his life to save her. Although the image of her being the 'typical-type' of princess was driving her sick, she liked the knight part honestly. After all, despite her unlady-like manners, she was definitely a woman who needed her someone special to be beside her.

As she laid her fingers on his face, she smiled, sincerely and gleefully. She could forget all their painful memories and past, and giving him a second chance. She wanted to trust him once again, for trusting him was the only way of her pursuit of happiness. Even so, a little piece of her self was afraid of his betrayal. But she had decided to set all of her worries aside, and trusted him once more. However a few seconds later, he slowly opened both of his eyes, and realized that she was touching his face, and his vision caught her blushing right in front of him. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't figure something out, because he was still very sleepy. Probably the warmth of her hands had wakened him up, although he didn't really want to wake up that early.

Athrun Zala always hated being wakened up by anyone else, except his deceased mother. He didn't like wake up early, and at his childhood days, his mother had to wake him up or else he would be late to school. He always hated waking up early in the morning, and always grumbling when he was awakened by anyone else but his mother. But as he grew up, he stopped grumbling pointlessly, although he still didn't like waking up early in the morning; it annoyed him really. He used an alarm clock so he wouldn't be able to grumble at anyone, since he had no choice for his annoyance releasing subject.

He was really sleepy at that time though, but the feeling of her warmth and those gentle touches of hers were making him smiling right after he had opened his eyes, which was very unusual.

"Oh, you're awake, Athrun?"

He just gave her a simple nod, the reason was because he was just awake at that time, and he hadn't gained his full senses.

"If you're awake, why don't you let me go?", she demanded impatiently, although he found it very cute for him.

He frowned a little, took a glance at the clock inside the room, and then replied half-heartedly, "Cagalli, it is half past five in the morning. Why are you so early?"

"Well, you've forced me to sleep earlier last night, remember?" she explained with a little annoyance on her face, "As the result of that, I wake up earlier today"

"But this is half past five, Cagalli, no one is awake at this time-"

"Ah, just let me go, won't you?", she pouted.

Although both of his eyes looked sleepy, he could set a smirk on his face, and answered, "No, I won't"

"Hey! Let me go-", she tried to turned the opposite way, but he quickly tightened his grip upon her, and she could do nothing in the end.

"I want to sleep more. Five minutes more-", he demanded with a dispirited yet sly tone, "-of sleeping with you"

"Huh! Annoying as always", she grumbled, but deep inside her heart, she liked the way he embraced her while she was sleeping, and the sensation of his warmth flowed into her body. So she let herself fallen into his embrace for about five minutes, until he had fully wakened up. Both of them really enjoyed those five minutes and both of them preserving that very moment into their hearts and memories, treasuring it inside themselves.

"Athrun", she called him, "Five minutes, as you promised"

He groaned for a short while, and then he loosened up his grip upon her little by little, and she promptly got up, and sat on the bed, still beside him. He slowly got up, sat beside her, and then yawned a little.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Surely, it took a lot of time to wake you up", she said to him in a mocking tone, "I didn't know that coordinators like to sleep that much, not until I saw you"

He smiled at her teasing him. He was still sitting on the bed side by side with her, and then, a few seconds later, he dragged himself closer to her, and his face was close to hers. He lifted one of his hands, and had its' fingers tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. He gazed deeply at her, and it was only a matter of time until she blushed again because of his action. He pulled himself closer to her, and the gap between their faces slowly diminished, and he kissed her very gently and lovingly. It was chaste and only lasted for a few seconds, they broke the kiss immediately afterwards. She was blushing furiously at his sudden kiss, although she liked being kissed by to be honest.

"Good morning, Princess", he smiled caringly at her, his hand touched her cheek as she blushed like mad, "You've woken me up so damn early this Sunday morning…"

"Athrun, today is Saturday morning not Sunday morning" she corrected him with a grin on her face.

"Right, Saturday morning or Sunday morning, today is Kira and Lacus wedding. I am the best man and you are the maid of honour. Finally, the biggest day of my life…" he yawned as he stretched his limbs leaving his sentence unfinished.

"Athrun, note in that coordinator head of yours that the ones who will get married today are Kira and Lacus not you…"

"Yeah" he nodded and replied her slyly "Today's wedding is Kira and Lacus', not ours…"

"SHUT UP!" she pushed his face with a big pillow, trying to suffocate him; mainly because he teased her and she wasn't the type that would do nothing about his teasing her "I'm not marrying you!" and then she started to hit him continuously with two pillows at once using her full force.

"Oh, well, not now…" he said as he evaded her attacks easily; he was a coordinator and surely he would be able to dodge her 'pillow attacks' easily.

"GEEZ! I-am-not-marrying-you-…" she was about to continue her sentence but Athrun easily caught her off guard and then secured her inside his embrace as he smiled naughtily at her.

"Yes, Princess, you are not marrying me today. Perhaps tomorrow or next week…"

"Why, you…"

He cut off her protests by placing his lips onto hers, securely silencing her as he put his hands by the sides of her face. He kissed her so suddenly that she was really surprised and the first thing popped out into her head was to hit him right in his face but as he deepened the kiss she gradually felt the urge to hit him had lost and nowhere to be found inside her self. A few milliseconds later, she had enjoyed the feelings of being kissed by her prince and she replied his kiss with the same amount of passion.

She wanted to curse her thoughts for being so happy to be kissed by him. She wanted to curse her lips for betraying her commands not to let his tongue invaded to her mouth. She wanted to curse her tongue to respond to his movements. She wanted to curse her hands to wrap itself around his neck. Moreover, she wanted to curse her body for enjoying the feeling of his hands went down from her face to her waist, rubbing it.

He could sense her responds towards his touches and he knew that he had to stop it unless he wanted to reach the level that shouldn't be reached. For that reason, he decided to end their heated kiss with a chaste kiss on her lips and putting a small smile on his face while his hands were caressing her hair.

"Hey, I want to go to some places this morning…"

"Don't forget that today is Kira and Lacus' wedding, don't be late…"

"I know, Cagalli. I can guarantee that it won't be long. It's only for an hour or two", he answered, "Actually, I want to visit my parent's grave. I haven't done it for quite a long time…"

"Just make sure you won't be late for the big event today", she smiled a little. She knew exactly how he felt. She had lost many precious comrades during the war, and also her father. Even though she knew how it felt to lose someone important during a war, she chose to speak nothing, and smiled a little. Sometimes things were better left unspoken.

She remembered the time when she was talking with Athrun on the Archangel, when he had just returned from PLANT with injury on his hand, which was caused by his father. His face was as long as a fiddle back then, mostly because he was shot by his own father. But Cagalli tried to cheer him up, and told him that he might have another chance to talk to his father, while the fact was she had just lost her father. Although she pretended to be strong, her eyes told him the opposite. He could see sadness and loneliness inside her amber eyes, and that was the reason why he suddenly hugged her and told her that he was sorry. The moment he hugged her, she didn't really know the reason why, but slowly, she began to acknowledge it. He was the only person who could look deep into her eyes, and knew her true feelings without her telling him so.

"Hey, Cagalli, are you there?", he waved a hand in front of her face, trying to distract her from her dozing off.

"Huh?", she looked startled at his sudden question, and then she replied, "Y-yes, Athrun?"

As she turned her head to his direction to face him, he acknowledged that he saw the sad gleam inside her amber eyes which was the same as the one he had seen four years ago. He knew that even though she had many friends and comrades, she was still a bit lonely, it was just she told nobody about that. He gave her a gentle smile; he tried to assure her, to share her one bit of his happiness. But some things were better left unspoken, so he just smiled to her, it was a soothing and caring one. He dragged himself closer to her, and then pecked her on her cheek which had caused her face to blush.

"Ah! You're always like that!" she pushed him and looked into another direction rather than him, "Now go to that room of yours and wash your face there! I'm using my bathroom now!", and then she got off from her bed, walked to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth

He just kept looking at her, while his heart gradually filled with indescribable happiness. With her by his side, he dared to declare that he was the happiest guy alive.

Suddenly, the phone inside that room rang.

"Ah, Athrun, can you pick it up for me?" she shouted from the bathroom, "I'm brushing my teeth and my hands all wet…"

"Sure", he answered, and then got up from the bed to pick up the phone.

"Hello", he said to the caller.

"So, you are at her room all night long, Athrun", a cold, furious yet familiar voice was heard from the other line. He gulped. He really recognized the people who had called just now. How could he forget someone who had been his best friend since he was four years old? The problem was his voice seemed terribly impatient, cold yet furious. And Athrun felt really guilty for some reason, for something rather wrong he had done the night before.

"Uh-", he hesitantly and nervously replied, "-good morning, Ki-"

"Yeah, you're pretending like nothing has happened before, right Athrun?" Kira said impatiently, and there was a bit of anger in his voice, "You know? I've been missed-calling you since last night, and it seems that you have left your cell phone in your room, haven't you?"

"Er-", he gulped once again, trying to relax himself, "-yes"

"And now that you've left your cell phone in your room for the whole last night; that would mean that you didn't sleep in your room, right?"

"Uh, yes", his emerald eyes wondered into various directions, trying to decrease his nervousness by distracting himself. Unfortunately, he found nothing had distracted him, and he had to fully concentrate on his conversation with an annoyed Kira.

"At first I didn't want to believe this", Kira sighed, and then continued with the same annoyed tone, "But the fact was when I dialled her room number, it was YOU who picked it up, Athrun"

"Y-you're definitely right"

"And this morning, I've just known that my best friend slept with my twin sister last night. Is that true, Athrun?" he enquired frigidly.

"It's-", he held his breath, "-true", and then released it.

"Now, Athrun. Stop pretending, won't you?"

"No!" he quickly opposed him; he didn't want to ignite any anger to his best friend, "No! It's not like what you think-"

"What-have-you-done-to-her-last-night", he gave a split second break between every words and put some accents on them, "Now, tell me!"

"I did nothing! It's really nothing-"

"Then tell me the reason why"

"Uh, well-", he tried to compose the right words to describe his situation to Kira, "-she was a bit sick, and she insisted in doing her work even until late at night, so I had to force her to sleep… Trust me, we did nothing last night. It's not like what you think, Kira"

Kira paused a little, and then let a heavy sigh out from his mouth, feeling terribly relieved. He really trusted Athrun for he was his best friend, besides, even without asking him, Kira had known that Athrun wouldn't do something like that to Cagalli. He really knew Athrun, and although Athrun had always been surrounded by girl of any available types, he was a responsible guy and would never betray someone he loved. Even though Athrun was a bit nervous when he was answering Kira's call, Kira didn't doubt his best friend's statement before. He really knew Cagalli, and his explanation was quite reasonable.

"Okay", he replied more calmly and friendly, "But at least if you're going to stay at another room, bring your cell phone next time, won't you?"

"Okay", he answered in relieve, because he knew that Kira was no longer mad at him, "By the way, why you called so early in the morning?"

"I just want to remind you two to be ready before lunch…"

"No problem", he replied.

"Well then, have a nice day"

"Have a nice day too", he replied before promptly cut the line off by putting the phone back to it's' place. The moment he put it back, he let out a thankful sigh. It was a big relief to escape from his best friend's rage.

"Who called?" Cagalli shouted from her bathroom, asking him.

"Oh, it's just Kira who called", he replied, and then before he walked out from her room, he shouted to her from the other side of the door, "I'll be waiting at the lobby forty minutes from now, okay?"

"Okay", she yelled between the flowing tap water noises.

He smiled, and then left her room, while he walked to the direction of his room. His room was still tidy and anyone who saw it would assume that nobody was sleeping on the bed the night before.

'_Kira shouldn't have paid for two rooms, though'_, he thought while he entered the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.

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**Author's note:** I'm here, indulged by the blissfulness of the holiday which will end soon enough. I thought I would be able to write more in holidays, in fact I was wrong since I have moooooooreeeeeeeeee activities during my holiday :D

Thank you to Jesus Christ

Thank you to my reviewers

Nii


	24. Yabureta Heiwa no Hajimaru Toki

**DISCLAIMER: Nii doesn't own GS and GSD**

Thanks to Jesus that because of His guidance I can write this chapter smoothly without any 'stuck' environment XD

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_**Chapter 24: Yabureta Heiwa no Hajimaru Toki**_

After finishing her breakfast (she preferred her breakfast delivered to her room since she didn't really like crowds because she would easily be recognized and she didn't want people to bug her peaceful holiday at PLANT) she proceeded to do some of her work all alone in her room while waiting for Athrun to come home. Currently Athrun was somewhere in Aprilius-2 visiting his parent's tombstone. She had been working for four hours and working all alone was not something new to her but for some reason she was feeling uneasy.

"Huh? What's this?"

Being the Chief Representative of Orb at such a young age she was used to black mails and prank calls, most of them doubting her ability of leadership. She could tolerate them though. She never worried about them and would always just take it easy. However, the black mail had stopped when she entered the year of C.E. 72 and people had started to respect her. She hadn't received any black mail since she was eighteen.

She was sitting at her desk, trying to finish her work before lunch time came. She tried to finish her work as fast as she could, but unfortunately, there was something that had distracted her concentration.

She glanced at the glass vase before her. Usually, the hotel manager wouldn't place something under the vase or at such a place because it wouldn't seem noticeable but she managed to notice that there was something under the vase, and she promptly took it.

'_Why __would__ the housekeeping place a notification under the vase?'_ She questioned and perhaps she would complain to the manager right after she checked out from the hotel. Besides, it was the most luxurious hotel at PLANT, the manager wouldn't object if she complained for such as small thing. And not to forget, she was one of the most respected people in the whole universe, maybe the manager would take her complaint as a compliment.

Slowly, she lifted the vase in order to take the small piece of paper under it without any damages. She put the vase back on its place and then she examined the paper. It was just an ordinary paper, and it was small. Someone had folded it into four parts. She unfolded the paper carefully and the moment she opened it there were a few things written on the paper. It wasn't handwritten, it was printed. She read it carefully and when her mind had grasped what it meant, she could think no more.

Holding her breath, she quickly tore the paper into small parts until people would barely see it, and rushed to her bathroom putting the tiny pieces of paper in the sink. She turned on the water and set it to the maximum so those tiny pieces of paper would sink into the drain. She didn't care if she was ruining the environment at that time, she didn't care if the drain hole inside her sink wouldn't be able to function properly, and all she wanted to do was to get rid of that black mail as soon as possible.

She wasn't the type of person who could easily be scared by black mails or prank calls, in fact, she was always ignorant to those. But this time was different. Something that had written on that piece of paper had scared her to her nerves. She was a brave person, and actually nothing in this world could scare her, except that very black mail.

Even though she had got rid of the black mail, the words that had written on it were still echoing on her head.

**An AdOptIvE dAugHTeR sHouLd'Nt hAVe RuLed tHe WHolE cOuntRy oF ORB. cOmMonErs mUSt NoT eNTeR tHE rOYaL FamILy of ATHHA. AnD HoW CoME a NaTIon On EArTh dOeSn'T JoIn the EARTH ALLIANCE? AnD aLSo, THX to yOu thE wHoLe EURASIAN aNd ATLANTIC FEDERATION iS iN A tOTAl mEsS. DIE, CAGALLI YULA.**

"AARRRGGHH! Forget it, Cagalli, it's just a small piece of paper!" She said to herself as she walked away from the toilet, and then she opened her wardrobe. She took her gun, and then filled it with bullets until it was full and then she made sure that the gun was in good condition so she could shoot properly with it.

The fact that she was an adoptive daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha was remained top secret, nobody knew that except the Sahaku family, a few emirs, Kisaka, and Amagi. Even the people of Orb didn't know that she was an adoptive daughter.

Orb was a country that used a unique system which consists of aristocracy and legislature. If the fact about her being an adoptive daughter were to be leaked by someone, she would be the Princess no more and she would have to hand her throne to the Sahaku family. She didn't want to hand her throne to the Sahaku's, and it wasn't because she liked power, she feared that if she handed her throne to them, they would do something ridiculous, like forcing Morganroete to make weapons for Earth Alliance, or ZAFT. Whichever sides were the same, just the enemy changed. That was the reason why she would never trusted the Sahaku's again.

No one was supposed to know that she was an adoptive daughter and that she had a coordinator brother. And the most amazing thing was the people who had blackmailed her seemed to know everything about her origin and biological parents. She didn't really bother about the Earth Alliance thing, she could care less about that, but deep inside she wondered how the people knew about her status as adopted.

"AH!" She shouted at the door when it suddenly opened itself. She pointed her gun to the opening door, which…

…revealed an Athrun Zala with both of his hands on the air.

"Gosh! It's only you, Athrun! Why didn't you ring the bell?"

"Because I still have your spare card key." He answered confusedly, while staring at her figure. She was clad in her usual attire, however, her stance was a bit awkward and it seemed that she was ready to shoot whoever got in her way. Her face was a bit pale as if she was scared of the probability of someone coming at her and suffocated her and her hands which were holding the gun trembled a bit. Athrun didn't need to be a coordinator to tell that she was terribly concerned and frightened with a certain thing at that time.

She looked furious, and then grabbed that card key by force, saying, "Give me that!"

He nodded, but then he said, "You've pointed your gun to me twice, Cagalli."

"Well, you can practice your reflexes from that, you know." She entered her room again, putting her spare card key into the drawer of her desk.

"That's not the point." He answered, and then entered her room, "Is something up?"

"Not really" She lied, and turned her laptop off then turned to him again. "Come on. We have to be there on time, otherwise Kira and Lacus will be mad at us."

"Okay" He smiled and slipped his hand around her waist. "Actually I'm here to remind you of that, Cagalli. I thought that you might get stuck with your work and forget the time-"

"You fool. I'm not that kind of person." She smiled a little and then proceeded to leave her room along with him.

However, her walking together with him still couldn't stop her mind from thinking about the mail.

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"Our target tonight…" He tapped his forehead as he tried to find some suitable words to say to Meyrin "…is good at disguises…"

"Then?" Meyrin walked to her personal computer to do her usual reports and paperwork with her superior, Gerald standing behind her watching and admiring at how fast she did her secretary-like works "I'm good at disguises too. You've said that to me once. You said 'Hey Meyrin you are a gastronome in disguise' so basically that means that I'm good at that too, aren't I?"

"Hmm, that's not what I meant, dear honey bunny sweetie donkey Meyrin…"

Hearing him calling her in an embarrassing way, she suddenly stopped typing as she frowned as said, "Stop calling me blah-blah-blah-donkey, Gerald." and then she continued typing with twice the speed.

"Well, never mind. I just want to inform you about our suspect tonight… He's kinda sleek… No, I mean he easily disguised himself as other people, man or woman and he has his own purposes for intruding today's big event…"

"Calvin Pelkowski, 23 years old, a runaway prisoner, coordinator and a member of the radical faction. I know that he once had been in custody during his times as a soldier. He violated a military order during the war and killed natural civilians pointlessly without permission and then he was busted right after the death of the late chairman Dullindal, C.E. 73 to be precise. However he managed to escape from the prison and is currently serving the radical faction of ZAFT."

"According to our latest information, he is going to appear at Lacus Clyne's wedding celebration but I don't know about his true purposes tonight."

"I've got the invitation." Meyrin smirked as she finished typing and then she turned to Gerald to discuss their plan properly, "And luckily the invitation is valid for two people so you can come with me."

"Okay, we're going to keep an eye on him tonight."

"I don't think he would be able to do something suspicious tonight since the security is very tough… This is a private party after all and the ones who are getting married are Lacus Clyne and Commander Yamato. I'm sure he will not be able to do something dangerous there."

"Yeah, but he has an important reason to ruin the wedding." He walked further and then he took a big briefcase which didn't seem so heavy for him to lift and then he put it beside Meyrin, "The ones who are getting married are the leader of Terminal and the commander of ZAFT military forces; both of them with the same believes. Don't forget that they also invited a lot of important people with the same believes which will restrain their movements."

"However we still don't know his true intentions and motives." Meyrin said as she took a glimpse at the briefcase Gerald had brought.

"But it will be good if we can keep an eye one him or perhaps we can do something more than that…" He replied as he opened the briefcase and then smiled broadly.

"What's that, Gerald?" Meyrin asked as she stood from her chair, walked towards Gerald and then squatted beside him to take a better look at the briefcase.

"You should've known about this stuff." He grinned as he pulled the cover of the stuff inside the briefcase and then continued, "I think you've been taught about these kinds of things during your training…"

She examined the things inside it and then she questioned, "Gerald, who will use these?"

"You will." He smiled widely, "I'll be waiting in the basement while you keep an eye on him."

"Huh? Me?" she replied subconsciously as she pointed her finger to her face and then said, "Are you sure trusting this kind of mission to me?"

"Of course! You are my comrade and I you have to get yourself used to this kind of mission! All you have to do is keep an eye on him during the wedding reception and if you see something suspicious just call me and I'll help you. Get it?"

"I get it but did you know about my combat skills, Gerald?" She asked him with a worried face as she gazed into the briefcases full of various gadgets.

"I knew. They've informed me everything about your progress during your training. They said that your combat skills are not as good as your hacking skills but Meyrin, people can change." He gave her a gentle smile and then patted her on her shoulder while continuing, "To hell with what people say about you. I'm sure you will put all your effort in this mission and you will do well. Trust me and trust yourself, that's the recipe for our success!"

Hearing those words from her so-called superior, she couldn't help doing nothing but gape like an idiot for a few seconds. Gerald was usually a carefree person who joked too much and he always made himself look stupid but as he said those words to Meyrin, he suddenly looked so… matured. Meyrin had never imagined Gerald that way; that was the reason why she felt so confused with him being wise back then.

"What? Confused with me being full of wisdom like before?" Gerald asked her with a smirk on his face. He wasn't that playful actually; he was honest with his words but his sudden chance of attitude had made her surprised and the moment he saw her gaping at her he realized he can play with her, again. _'Meyrin's the cutest hacker I've ever met'_, he thought when he saw her directly.

"Hell no!" she shouted as she threw the cloth that was used to clean her gun right to his face, "Just shut up and prepare for our mission tonight!"

"But Meyrin, you don't have to throw this gunpowder-smelling cloth at me… I wonder why you're always calm when you're talking to someone else and suddenly go rude with me…"

"It's because of you, Gerald. I hope your detective instincts are sharp enough to realize the answer." She answered sharply.

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Athrun and Cagalli were walking out from their hotel heading to Kira and Lacus' residence at the moment. His hand was still around her waist holding her but there was something in her face that bothered him. She didn't feel uncomfortable with his hand around her waist but there was something outside that was bothering her since the morning. She looked like she was thinking about something very important and he thought her mind had gone somewhere else. He wanted to ask her why she set that kind of face during her holidays; even though she was a workaholic person she always enjoyed her holiday, which never lasted long. He was questioning what she thought at the moment but in the end he left those questions unanswered. _'Perhaps it is Orb's top secret.' _He thought. Suddenly she stopped walking towards the exit of the hotel, followed by him being curious about her sudden stopping.

"Oh!" She said as she tapped her head to express her annoyance towards herself, "I forgot to bring something."

"You're going back to your room I take it?" He asked as he released his grip upon her waist.

"Yes" She nodded as she gave him a small smile. "Wait here for a minute, okay?"

"Okay" He replied as he saw her dashing to the elevator to get back to her room. Seeing her in such a hurry, he couldn't help himself not to smile since she looked so cute yet childish in her ways. By the moment she had entered the elevator, she waved to him as the door closed itself. He saw her waving at him and then he unconsciously smiled, thanking God for having her by his side. He stood there for a few minutes until finally she appeared before him again; she panted heavily due to her hasty running before and she was carrying a small briefcase with her.

"Hey! Sorry it took me long…" She said between her breaths, she was running as fast as she could and now she ran out of breath as a result of it, "…we can go now, Athrun"

"Huh?" He unconsciously commented as he saw the thing she brought from her room and then continued "Are you going to do your work at Lacus' place?"

"Of course not." She chuckled as she answered him and then she continued, "How I am supposed to do my work when they tamper with my physical appearance? Hell no, I can't even concentrate during those times."

"Yeah, you're right." He nodded at her reply. He recalled she was the maid of honor and of course, she was going to wear a dress that night.

He recalled his times as Alex Dino where he had to stick with her 24/7 and when he had to escort her to some parties. The first time he saw her clad in dress, he gaped like an idiot for almost one minute or more, resulting in bluish bruise in his cheek because of being slapped by her. She slapped him because he mumbled _'are you really Cagalli?'_ while gaping at her. He was totally stunned when he saw her in a dress for he had never seen her clad in a dress during the war.

Oh well, she was about to wear a dress again and he was really looking forward to it. He had to admit that despite her harsh behavior and boyish attitude, she always looked stunning in dresses. However he liked her in every clothes and attire, whether it was her emir suit, her cargo pants, or her military uniform. Even so… his male instincts prefer her wearing nothing actually. He would never tell her about that unless he wanted his head to be chopped by her very hands cruelly.

"Hey, Athrun are you there?" She snapped him out of his thoughts and then when he realized her waiting beside him she raised a brow in confusion.

"Oh, never mind." He smiled a little as he replied her; "By the way, what is that?"

"This?" She asked him back as she lifted her small briefcase and then she replied in a mocking tone, "Will you ever believe me if I said that this is my make-up?"

"Err…" He tried to think about it but in the end he said, "I don't know, you're almost twenty now and I you're not as anti-being-feminine as years ago…"

She gave him a wide smile as she grabbed his arm and then leaned to him in a childish manner and then answered, "Correct. I'm almost twenty; I've grown up and you shouldn't underestimate me"

"Don't forget that I am a coordinator", He replied as he glanced at her direction and then found her clinging to his arm in a childish manner but somehow he liked her for that. Both of them kept walking out of the hotel with their current position and they looked like they enjoyed their moments really much.

"Are you trying to say that coordinator is the new humanity?"

"Nope" He chuckled as he walked further than her and then when he had reached the car he opened the door for her while saying, "It depends on your perceptions, Cagalli."

"Thanks" She replied his opening the car door for her with a small smile as she got into the car bringing the briefcase. He didn't really care about what's inside the briefcase but he accidentally took a glimpse at a small emblem on it.

'_Why would she bring something with Orb's military emblem on it?'_ He wondered as he closed the door and then got into the car, sitting beside her while he was wondering about it.

"Hey, Athrun," She called him right after he had sat beside her and told the driver to go to Lacus' place, "Let's continue our business."

Her saying 'our business' was actually refer to their debate about coordinators being the new humanity; he knew that even though she didn't state it clearly to him. However he wanted to toy with her for a few moments so he asked her back, "Continuing our business?"

"Yes. Our business." She gave him a determined look on her face while she put the briefcase below her, which she carefully did because she didn't want him to know about what's inside it. _'So she is going to hide it after all'_ He thought.

"Okay, let's continue." He said as he brought himself closer to her. He quickly cupped her face with both of his hands, enclosing the gap between his lips and hers. He was signaling her that he was about to kiss her but she knew he just wanted to toy with her so she quickly pushed him hard.

"What are you thinking!??" She yelled at him as she tried to maintain a distance between him and her. She didn't expect him to kiss her like that, in someone else' car and being discovered was the very last thing she wanted to happen. She hated paparazzi and she was sure all of them must've liked talking about her love life.

"I was thinking about continuing our business…" He smiled slyly as he carefully yet quickly slid one of his hands around her waist and brought her closer to him while he was looking at her blushing face; she was blushing like mad at the moment, "…you know, the one we did at your room last night—."

Hearing him saying those words, her face went even redder. She felt the sensation of his hand around her waist and suddenly her heart beat went faster. He was about to bring her closer to him but she quickly removed his hand from her waist, hissing with a cold angry tone "Don't you dare doing _that_ here…"

He knew she was giving some emphasis to the word 'that', and judging her from the way she threatened him he comprehend that she was avoiding the word 'kiss' since saying it would make her blush even deeper than before. She was a bit angry with him but with her blushing face, he considered it very cute to be resisted and made him want to kiss her again even though he knew that if he did kiss her it would end up with one or two slaps or maybe a powerful choke from her.

"Okay, I won't do it here." He said as he re-adjusted his position. He saw the driver was glancing backwards through the rearview mirror and he didn't want to create an unpleasant nuance inside the car.

"Yeah, of course." She scowled as she fixed herself. She still had that angry look on her blushing face but it had turned normal gradually and then she smiled to herself. Despite his toying her, she liked being together with him, even if they were discovered. Suddenly a few thoughts popped in her head. She wanted to tell them to him so she turned to his direction but in the end, she ended up gazing at him, admiring his features. She also had to admit that he's striking and she was very lucky to go out with a guy like him.

"Staring at me, Princess?" He asked her with a sly tone in his voice which had made her face blush, again. She quickly avoided his eyes because if she looked at them directly she would blush more and she thought that it embarrassing to be like that.

"No" She lied to him while she gazed at the streets from the window.

"Admit it, Princess." He wanted her to admit it and he also wanted to see her blushing face. "I knew that you were staring at me."

"I was about to tell you something." She finally told him the reason "But I decided to tell you tonight after the party because… Err, it's only for you and me."

"Okay. Just make sure you do." He replied her as he secretly took her hand, captured it with his and then had his fingers in between hers. He was holding her hand until she suddenly received a phone call. She released her hand from his and then quickly took her cell phone from her pocket, pressed a button on it and then talked to the one who were calling her.

"Hello?" she said as she received the phone call. "Ah, yes, Anna?"

He stared at her and examined her expression when she received the phone call from her secretary. Judging from her expression, it seemed that she had lost her cute aura and she turned a bit more distinct than before. He smiled as he saw her being that serious, well she was always serious when it came to her work and her country. She was a perfectionist; however being a perfectionist had put a lot of pressure on her self. She always did her best for Orb yet she didn't really care for herself.

"Okay, thank you for that, Anna…" She said as she took a glimpse at her watch as she listened to Anna and then after a few seconds, she continued talking on the phone, "…well, in that case I want you to continue our investigation. I've stated the details in the mail I just sent to you… Yes. I'll leave them to you…" She paused to listen to Anna for another second and then after she had finished she continued, "…okay, I want this matter to be our top priority for the next six month… Yeah, you're right… Well, I think I'll just leave them to you, Anna. I'll be back tomorrow… No, you don't have to; I'll be able to do it myself… Okay, thank you and see you soon."

She pressed a button on her cell phone and then put it back inside her pocket. She looked at him and then smiled, saying, "Sorry for that. My secretary called."

"Never mind" He replied as he smiled back at her. However he was wondering what she said. He wasn't an eavesdropper but the tone she used back then was arousing his suspicion. He wasn't very sure if something had gone wrong at that time but he was sure that there would be something that shouldn't be happening, sooner or later.

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**Author's note: **_Yabureta Heiwa no Hajimaru Toki: The Beginning of the Broken Peace._

Special thanks to Jesus Christ.

Thank you very much to SamuraiGirl7, thanks for the editing and your help in this fic.

School period! HAHAHA!!! Mizz my friends a lot however i DO NOT miss my homeworks :p

Thanks to my readers, I hope you guys keep reading and reviewing my fic.

Nii


	25. Muri Desukedo

Do I still need to write a disclaimer? LOL

**DISCLAIMER**: Nii-blueberryfreak doesn't own GS and GSD. All she owns are three e-mail accounts, two of them are used for Instant Messaging purposes (oh well, 'chatting') and one of them is totally a secret!! Hahaha :D

**VERY VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO:** oh well, there's no one else other than JESUS CHRIST! Thank you Lord!

**VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO:** SamuraiGirl7, thank you for helping me with this chapter despite your busy days…

**SPECIAL THANKS TO:** All of my readers and reviewers. Can't live without you guyz!

**SPECIAL APOLOGIES: **I've been very busy recently, but I promise I won't abandon this fic. I may be updating slowly but trust me, I won't abandon this fic :D

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_**Chapter 25: Muri Desukedo…**_

Two hours before the wedding ceremony started.

Cagalli smiled at her surroundings. Lacus' bride's maids were chatting with each other, not really fussing over the fact that she was the Orb's Princess. Well, they did asking for her autograph at first but they didn't disturb her much. They asked her a lot of things since they didn't know how it felt to become a princess at such a young age. She had to answer them politely of course but she had to admit that she didn't feel disturbed answering them many times.

She walked out of the dressing room with a small smile on her face while she carefully lifted up part of her dress so she wouldn't step on it while she was walking out of the dressing room. She met Lacus on her way out and she had to admit that she couldn't help gasping whenever she saw her. Lacus was totally stunning in her attire. She waved to her and when Lacus waved back in return, she kept walking out of the room to get the stale air out of her lungs. Besides she wanted to see what was happening outside but she had to be careful not to gather any attention from it.

She had finally made her way to the wedding ceremony's place. Lacus sure had chosen the perfect place for their wedding. The venue itself wasn't too huge, but rather it was perfect for an average wedding party. There was a garden and in there was a greenhouse at the end of the pathway. The greenhouse wasn't an ordinary one because whenever you took a look at what's inside it, it was a place for people to hold their wedding ceremony. There was an altar inside it, surrounded with a lot of colourful flowers and trees that made a beautiful decoration. She had taken a look at it and she had to admit that Lacus' preference was very good.

However she wasn't about to go to the greenhouse; she wanted to go to the toilet instead. She walked swiftly while hoping for her safety in the whole upcoming event. There were a few things she was scared of; she feared that she might trip during the ceremony and if it did happen, she would probably have plastic surgery to change her looks so people wouldn't recognize her face. Second, she feared that Athrun might go on his publicly-displayed-affections-mode, perhaps she should make a deal with Athrun before the wedding started so he wouldn't go on his publicly-displayed-affections-mode and she could get through the whole event safely without arousing anyone's suspicion about her love life. The third factor was the one she feared the most; she might meet the person who wrote her the blackmail letter that she had received hours before.

If that where to be the case, she was thankful for being a tomboy who's quite good on hand-to-hand combat skills, though they were minimal compared to a coordinator. She was a natural for Pete's sake. She had brought her guns with her in case something bad happened and she wanted to be able to defend herself without gathering any attention.

She kept walking towards the toilet and when she had reached it, she glanced at herself in the mirror and sighed. She glanced at her surroundings to make sure that no one was inside and then went to the cubicle in the very corner of it. She closed the door carefully to make sure that nobody would be able to break in, closed the water closet lid and then she sat on it while she let out another sigh. She could not load her guns in the dressing room since she wasn't sure if she would be able to do it without gathering attention.

She carefully lifted her dress revealing her bare legs and surprisingly she had taken her weapons with her. She had tied her gun to her thigh using a leg holster. (a/n: The one Lara Croft wears in Tomb Raider series. Oh well I dunno what it is :p) and she had brought the ammunition also hidden beneath her dress. She smiled satisfactorily when she took them out and then she loaded her guns with it while making sure that her they were properly functionally. She brought two handguns (each of them has different type of ammunition) and one stun gun (she thought she might need it since ammunition does not last forever). She loaded them carefully and when she had finished doing it, she tied them back to her thighs, stood up and then left the cubicle. The moment she got out from the cubicle, she saw her reflection on the mirror. She smirked to herself; mostly because she was pleased with her own preparations. Finally, she had to check her appearance. She adjusted her dress carefully so people wouldn't know that she was actually carrying guns at that time and she took a look at her face carefully; hoping that people wouldn't commented on her lipstick colour. She never liked wearing lipstick no matter what colour it was. She thought that she looked ridiculous in it, however she still wore it on rare occasions when she had to, like or dislike.

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A nervous brunette was walking to and fro nervously. His wedding would be starting in two hours, but he had started feeling nervous. The reason he felt nervous was not caused from his wedding with Lacus, well he was nervous about that too, but it was not the main reason. One day, Lacus told him that she wanted Haro and Torii to carry their wedding ring. Kira agreed with her suggestion since those mini-robots were so precious to both of them and he was willing to tamper with their AI so they would carry their responsibility perfectly. Knowing his ability in creating operating systems for GUNDAMs, modifying their AI was just a piece of cake for him so he did it in only 20minutes and then he put them inside his dressing room while doing the final check on them.

Athrun ,who was busy fixing his attire and making sure that he looked good for that special night was wondering why Kira had been walking pointlessly like that. The first time Athrun saw Kira walking back and forth, he thought Kira needed help in modifying the AI but he slowly comprehend that Kira's walking to and fro might be caused by his pre-wedding-stress.

"Kira? What's wrong?"

"Huh?" he looked a bit startled at his best friend's sudden inquiry, however he got rid of his surprise in no time, and then replied, "Nothing in particular, Athrun."

"Don't tell me that you're nervous or something like that." Knowing that Kira had been in that kind of stance for more than thirty minutes, he frowned at him, and then continued, "I know that most guys would be nervous before their wedding but I didn't expect you to behave like…" and then he examined his best friend from top to bottom, "…this"

Kira was wearing a black tuxedo, but the way he wore it was improper, and Athrun was dare to call it scruffy.

"Don't look at me like that, Athrun" Kira replied irritatingly at his best man, "Or else I'll ruin your wedding too-"

"My wedding is still long way away, I don't even have a fiancée-"

"Old man" Kira smirked, and walked to the mirror to fix his attire.

"I'm older than you, Kira." Athrun walked to Kira's side, and then push him to the other side so Kira couldn't look into the mirror; he did it on purpose, though, he wanted to do some mocking on Kira.

Athrun gazed at his reflection on the mirror. He was wearing a black suit too to match Kira's, but the design was a bit different. He was the best man, though, not the groom. He stared at his reflection and examined his appearance, while he corrected his attire, he said, "Mind that you have to respect someone who's older than you..."

"You sure sounded like our Moral Education teacher during our time at Heliopolis Elementary School" Kira pushed Athrun to the other side so he could look at the mirror without Athrun disturbing him and fixed his attire. Being pushed by Kira, Athrun set a frown on his face, while Kira continued speaking, "Yeah, you sure sounded like Mr. Parker." Kira imitated them by saying the phrases in a mocking tone, "Hey you! Behave well! Don't forget that he's older than you and you have to respect him! Gosh! It was always annoying when he said that, as annoying as you..."

Kira's words were forcefully cut off by Athrun pushing him to the other side, again. However, it was harder than before, because Kira went a bit far from the mirror. Even before Kira's wedding, they were being childish. There was only one mirror in their changing room, and the mirror was quite slim so only one person could stand in front of it.

"You're not even engaged yet!", Kira mocked Athrun, "I'm younger than you yet I'm a step ahead..."

"For your information, Kira-" Athrun fixed his tie not looking at Kira and pretended that nothing had happened, "-I am not single anymore."

"Oh?" Kira set a determined look on his face, and then he pushed Athrun to the other side forcefully yet playfully, "So you're with my sister now, Athrun? My, how could I ever forget that? Perhaps you were having a good sleep with her last night-"

"No" Athrun pushed Kira again, this time he looked rather annoyed, and his face went a bit red when Kira teased him about something that had happened the night before, "I didn't do anything to her last night."

"Womanizer" Kira pushed him again to the other side. He was about to fix his attire again, but Athrun gave him no chance to do so, and quickly pushed him in reply.

"Cry-baby" Athrun replied calmly.

"Womanizer" Kira pushed Athrun again.

"Cry-baby" Athrun pushed Kira again, but that time Kira had defended himself so both of them ended up pushing each other.

"Womanizer"

"Cry-baby"

Suddenly, both of them stopped, stepped further to each other, and stared at each other in disgust.

"Look at you." Athrun mocked, "You're twenty, you're going to be married with the songstress of PLANT in two hours time, yet you behaved like a five-year-old-child…"

"The same goes for you." Kira replied with mocking tone in his voice, "You're turning twenty this October, you're currently dating the Chief Representative of Orb, yet you behaved like a four-year-old-child…"

They both looking at each other, and then released a loud laugh.

"Not funny" Kira said between his laughs, "Athrun, this is not funny."

"Don't laugh then." Athrun smiled widely, "Fix your tux, Kira"

When they were five years old, they were still studying at Copernicus. They participated in a drama, and when they were fixing their costumes, the situation was the exact same as now. There was only one mirror for the two of them, so they both ended up pushing each other so they could gaze at themselves at the mirror. Nobody won at that time, because the teacher had stopped them. They recalled about that, and that was the reason they laughed.

"But, surely, Athrun-" Kira started, while he changed his expression suddenly, "-I feel like… Um, how should I describe this…" he paused thinking for a while and he continued, "…well, I feel uneasy at the situation now."

"Huh?" Athrun raised one of his brows in curiosity. "In other words?"

"No other words. I'm feeling uneasy right now."

"Don't tell me that it is caused by your wedding-"

"No, it isn't." Kira interrupted Athrun, and then continued, "My feelings tell me that something isn't right."

Athrun was puzzled at Kira's words and expression. Knowing Kira for years, he really acknowledged that Kira seldom behaved like that, and when he said so, there must be something really wrong.

"But…" Athrun tried to reason. "…what do you mean? This changing room isn't haunted, is it?"

"Athrun, this is Cosmic Era for God's sake, and nobody would believe such a story." Kira shook his head, and then he dragged Athrun out of the changing room, "Come with me. We're going to take the most important accessories for this attire."

"Aren't we going to be late?"

"No, there's still two hours, and something tells me that we'll be able to return here in an hour." Kira kept dragging Athrun while continued, "We have to get something at my residence. It's near, so you don't have to be worried."

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Cagalli walked back to the dressing room with her guns all hidden behind her marvellous dress. She smiled to the bridesmaids when she met them on her way and she kept walking straight on to Lacus' dressing room. The door was closed and she wasn't sure if Lacus was done yet but when she was about to knock it, the door itself had opened slowly because she had pushed it very gently.

"Oh, it's just Cagalli." She could hear Lacus' voice from behind the door even though the opening of the door was still too small for her to see Lacus.

"Lacus, may I come in?" She asked Lacus as she drew herself nearer to the door.

"Sure" Lacus replied with giggles. "I've done changing."

She walked inside the changing room while both of her eyes widened. "Lacus…" She said as she gave Lacus a wide smile, complimenting her "…you sure look good in that dress!"

"Thank you. I chose this dress myself." She smiled as she walked to Cagalli who was closing the door carefully, trying not to make a lot of sound. "So, what brings you here, Cagalli?"

"Uhm…, nothing in particular." She gazed at the whole changing room and then she decided to sit on a chair near the wardrobe. Lacus' pink Haro was bouncing cheerfully around her while saying "Cagalli! Cagalli! Good afternoon!"

'_I bet Kira has __increased the vocabulary of__ this Haro'_, She thought while smiling to the tiny round-shaped robot and then she faced Lacus saying, "Can it reply to what people saying to it?"

"Well, it will reply for greetings such as 'good morning', 'good afternoon', and 'thank you'. Kira upgraded the AI so it has become much smarter than four years ago." She sat in front of the mirror while taking a look at herself, making sure that she looked good enough to show up in front of her guests that night "However it would only obey to my and Kira's commands. You know, voice-recognition device."

"Oh I see." She smiled at the pink Haro as she saw it bouncing back to Lacus' lap. Lacus smiled to it as she caught her Haro right before it landed on her lap and then she faced Cagalli with a small smile on her face.

"Is something wrong, Cagalli?" She asked Cagalli while looking directly at her eyes. She had noticed that Cagalli had been acting strange for a few hours now. She could tell it by looking at her expression and gestures; Lacus was very good when it comes to reading someone's body language.

"Hmm… Nothing" Cagalli waved her head as she answered Lacus' enquiry but the moment she saw Lacus' eyes directly, she knew that she could avoid Lacus no longer and she had to tell her the truth why she was acting strange starting from the afternoon. Finally, Cagalli let a heavy sigh out and then said to Lacus, "Okay. I know I can't lie to you yet I tried to lie to you, silly me."

Hearing Cagalli answered in such a manner, Lacus couldn't help herself not to let a few giggles out from her and then replied Cagalli, saying, "Oh well, of course you can't lie to me but you can always tell me that you're keeping it as a secret to yourself."

"Well, I'm not planning to do that, Lacus." Cagalli smiled to Lacus while thinking about how she could easily understand people's feelings, "Actually I do want to tell somebody about this but I don't want to involve anybody into my problems so I decided to keep it to myself."

"Did you tell Athrun?" Lacus asked her back with curiosity in her face.

"Nope" She shook her head as she saw Lacus' Haro slipped out from her hand and then it started to bounce pointlessly while rolling in the air.

"Well, did you remember the time when you visited my house two days ago?" Lacus asked Cagalli with a gentle smile on her face.

"Yes of course."

"Well, when you told me about your Orb being convinced to join the Earth Alliance, he seemed rather disappointed… You know, he thought that you shouldn't keep everything to yourself, Cagalli." She paused for a while and then continued, "Based on my evaluation, I know from his eyes that he wanted you to fully trust him."

Cagalli set a small, sad smile on her face while she let a sigh out from herself saying, "I know, Lacus." She stood from where she had been sitting minutes ago and then she walked to the direction of the window while staring at what's happening behind it. The window was facing the other side of the venue; the place where the catering's employees was gathering to prepare tonight's dishes. There were many people there and surely, there was more stuff besides the main kitchen.

"Athrun had told me that hundreds of times." Cagalli said as she leaned towards the window with a regretful look on her face. "But there are a lot of reasons why I still keep everything to myself. It's not that I don't trust him or that he's unreliable, in fact I trust him very much but there's some point when I'm unable to trust anyone…"

"I think you have a good reason for doing it."

"Can you guess it?" Cagalli gave Lacus a meaningful look while she was thinking about how sharp Lacus was when it comes to guessing people's feelings, "I bet you can give me the right answer, Lacus."

"Let's see…" She paused for a while to arrange herself the most appropriate order of words and then she answered, "…Well, I'll keep this short. Basically it's not easy to open yourself up to someone when you've closed it once, is it?"

Hearing Lacus' answer, Cagalli raised a brow to express her feelings.

"I mean, you've closed your heart ever since two years ago and when he's back into your life, it's not that easy to open it up again, is it?" Lacus explained it to Cagalli so she could catch the meaning of her words.

"You're right." Cagalli answered, as she turned to Lacus with a small smile on her face, "Definitely right."

"But it's not entirely his fault." Lacus continued, "You have to learn to open up again, Cagalli."

"Thanks" Cagalli replied with a wider smile than before, "I'm trying to." and then she caught Lacus' Haro which was heading towards her.

"Hey Lacus, is it just my feeling or this Haro suddenly become friendly with me?" she asked Lacus while the Haro was spinning on her palm.

"No, Kira has tampered with its AI so it can be friendly with you now." Lacus chuckled as she saw her Haro dancing on Cagalli's palm. Lacus' Haro which was named 'Pink-chan' used to be unfriendly with Cagalli but when Kira started to tamper with it, its AI gradually improved and now Pink-chan could speak a lot of words, not just pointless ramblings like it did years ago.

"Oh, I see." Cagalli replied as she watched Pink-chan floating back to Lacus.

"Come here, Pink-chan." Lacus said as it floated steadily to her direction, "So Cagalli, are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, a bit." She smiled a little.

"You're not nervous, are you?" Lacus joked as she captured Pink-chan, "I'm the one who is getting married here, not you."

"Well I'm not nervous, Lacus." She smiled weakly, trying to express her mixed up emotions, "It's just… well actually I have a feeling that something isn't going on the way they should be now."

"Hmm? Mind telling me what is it all about?"

"Oh, actually… This is something that doesn't concern you and I don't want to drag you into serious problems so…" Cagalli shook her head weakly with a faint smile on her face, "…uhm… I sort of mind it."

"So that's the reason why you've been hiding your guns behind your dress, right?" Lacus quickly figured about what Cagalli had been concerning of since she entered Lacus' dressing room.

Startled with Lacus' guessing, Cagalli quickly replied with surprise on her voice, "How did you figure that?" She knew Lacus' ability in reading people's body language and expression; actually that was the reason why she was loved by the whole PLANT and Orb citizen. However, she never expected her to be able to know what she was hiding at that time.

"Because I saw you carrying a small briefcase that has Orb's military emblem on it." Lacus calmly answered Cagalli's enquiry, "Besides, I've realized from the way you walk that you're carrying something behind your dress."

"Hell yeah you're right Lacus." She replied in frustration, so frustrated that she spoke rashly, quite ignoring the fact that she was a Princess.

"Well actually your intuition is right, Cagalli." Lacus stood from her chair and then releasing her Haro that she had been holding in her hands for the last few minutes. "Right, Pink-chan?"

The pink-round-shaped robot did a nod-look-like action while it flew away from Lacus' hands.

"Cagalli, have I told you about my special plan in my wedding?"

"No, you haven't." She shook her head with bewildered looks on her face. "What is that?"

"I'm going to use Torii and Pink-chan to carry our wedding rings." Lacus smiled meaningfully as she stepped closer to Cagalli, "Kira has modified their AI so I'm sure they'll be able to do it."

"Really? Well, I personally think that your plan is kinda cute but…"

"Kira is doing the final maintenance on Torii and Pink-chan at the moment." Lacus said while eyeing her so intensely that it made Cagalli wonder what was going on at the moment.

"Wait a sec." Cagalli suddenly spoke with curiosity in her eye, "So that means…"

"…you're right", Lacus' eyes, which usually were warm and loving, now turned colder and colder as the time elapsed, "It's not my Pink-chan. That's why it's very friendly to you."

"So if it's not Pink-chan…" Cagalli tried to think while she examined the Pink Haro, "…something is wrong here…"

"Indeed, Cagalli." Lacus smiled satisfactory and then she continued, "Cagalli?"

"Yes?"

"Please shoot it"

"What?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Kira, you told me to come with you just to take these-" Athrun paused for a while, and then continued, "-guns?"

"Don't complain." Kira answered as he pulled his drawer to get some ammunition from it, "My intuition told me to do so."

"Then tell your feelings to be realistic." Athrun gazed confusedly at his friend's attitude, "You're beginning to be paranoid like Cagalli…"

"I'm not paranoid…" Kira replied quickly as he was still busy taking care of his gun and ammunition, but then he realized something, "…wait a minute. Can you repeat what have you said before?"

"I said, you're beginning to be paranoid like Cagalli-"

"Is something up with her?" Kira asked while he unconsciously dropped some stuffs on the ground, and then he quickly collected them.

"I think so, she has pointed her gun at me twice, and she easily startled…"

"Then something must be really wrong", Kira returned to his drawer, and then he opened the other drawer. Inside it was a few handguns, and more ammunition.

"I think people are right when they say that twins have some connections with each other." He smiled satisfyingly and then threw a gun at Athrun, which he perfectly caught with both of his hands.

"Take that, Athrun."

"Huh?" Athrun was dazed by Kira's sudden action, but he decided to take the gun and keep it with him, "Fine, I'll take this."

"Hide it under your suit. I'll take one too." Kira slipped a handgun behind his suit, and then he took a glimpse at his watch, and he said, "Come on. We have to be fast otherwise we will be late."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hehe. Things are going to heat up! Oh come on guys, read and review! I would really appreciate your reviews, critics are welcome but not flames… Oh well I have to check whether I have fire extinguishers or not… LOL 

_Muri desukedo: It's impossible but…_

See you and thank you very much!

God bless you


	26. Hanzai to Hanzaisha First Part

**DISCLAIMER: **I am just an ordinary girl but Jesus loves me extraordinarily, in fact since I am just an ordinary girl I really thanked Jesus for my money and bank accounts but don't forget the fact that I am an ordinary girl so with this ordinary amount of money, I can't buy GS and GSD from Fukuda and Sunrise; that is obvious so **I do not own GS and GSD**. However I live extraordinarily happy because HE always blesses me with extraordinary amount of love, affection and of course, inspirations to write my fanfictions. I know writing fanfictions will never make money nor make GS and GSD mine however I enjoy making fanfictions and interact with a lot of AsuCaga lovers community. Oh by the way this is the longest disclaimer I've ever made. LOL

**VERY VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO: ****Jesus Christ!**

**VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO: **SamuraiGirl7! Thank you very much for helping me with the grammar editing and the wedding vows for both Lacus and Kira. Once again, thank you very much!

**SPECIAL THANKS TO: **My readers and reviewers. I hope you guys enjoy reading my fic and if you have questions about this fic (not about the spoilers, of course!) please feel free to ask me about anything in this fic. You can notify me via PM or maybe via my e-mail addresses, which were shown in my profile page.

* * *

_**Chapter 26: **__**Hanzai To Hanzaisha –First Part-**_

"Shoot it, Cagalli"

Making sure that she didn't misunderstand what Lacus had told her to do, she asked Lacus again in disbelief, "Lacus are you sure? Aren't they going to hear the sound of my gun?"

"Relax, Cagalli. They won't" Lacus said as she stepped aside, maintaining a certain distance between her and her fake Pink-chan, "They won't hear it. We are surrounded by sound-proof walls, Cagalli."

"Well actually I've been curious about that Haro ever since I met it in this dressing room…" slowly, Cagalli lifted her dress which revealed her thigh and also, her guns. She took one of them and then she glanced throughout the room, making sure that the Haro wasn't in some unreachable place. She smiled as she saw it bouncing in front of the mirror. She set her aim, pulled the trigger and then shot it perfectly. The fake Haro fell ungracefully to the floor while some of its parts were scattered around it.

Lacus walked into its direction and then kneeled while she brought her hands to disassemble it. Cagalli bent forward to see what the result was and surprisingly, she found a tiny component inside the fake Haro's body. She carefully took the piece and examined it.

"What is that, Cagalli?" Lacus asked as she gathered the remaining pieces of the fake Haro and then lifted them so they wouldn't make the room seem dirty.

"It's an extra-sensitive voice recorder." She answered while her eyes showed her curiosity and bewilderedness saying, "I wonder who had put this…"

"In my opinion, we only have two possibilities…" She said with a serious gleam in her eyes. Lacus was known for her gentleness but when it came to something that involved war or politics, she became a persistent person.

"Do you mean…" Cagalli's eyes wandered throughout the room making sure that no one was there to eavesdrop on them, "…Blue Cosmos…"

"…or maybe ZAFT's radical faction." Lacus nodded with a determined look on her face.

Both of them remained silent for a few minutes as they thought about the situation and what they should do to protect themselves as they heard someone shouted from outside.

"Girls! Final rehearsal time! Please gather at the venue in 10 minutes!"

Cagalli and Lacus who were inside the dressing room heard that shouting and then Lacus promptly smiled, saying, "That's the EO shouting to my bridesmaids."

"Oh I see." Cagalli nodded at Lacus' explanation and then she finally said what's been going on in her head, "Why would they place a voice recorder instead of an eavesdropper device? It would be more convenient and practical, would it?"

"Because I've requested Andrew Waltfield and Kira to create a radio signal disturbance around this place so that people wouldn't be able to do any eavesdropping effort. Nobody knows the frequency of the disturbance except myself, Kira, and Andrew."

"Wow. Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Actually I wanted to tell you the moment you entered this dressing room but when I saw your gloomy face, I decided to set that matter aside for the time being." She explained to Cagalli with sorry look on her face, "I'm sorry."

"No, that's okay, Lacus." Cagalli gave her a small smile by the moment she replied to Lacus, "but surely why would they do it? Isn't two war enough already for them?"

"I don't know." Lacus sadly shook her head and then continued, "All I can do is persuading PLANT's citizens not to be ignited by their surroundings."

"Well, I don't know what is going to happen but I'll try my best not to be involved in war…" Cagalli sighed as she paused for a while and then continued, "…It's not that I won't help PLANT but Orb is a neutral country…"

"It's alright, Cagalli." Lacus replied as she giggled softly. "I know it's hard to maintain Orb's neutrality so I'll respect it no matter what happens."

"Thank you." She smiled as she glanced at Lacus' direction to find her azure eyes were as assuring as ever, still the same pair of eyes that showed determination and kindness at the same time.

"Well, you'd better prepare yourself 'cause the wedding is going to start in 30 minutes." Lacus chuckled as she stood from her chair, "That's why my EO has turned to be panic for the past twenty minutes."

"You're right." Cagalli smiled as she prepared to leave Lacus' dressing room. She was about to open the door when she finally said, "Does Athrun know about these security system in your wedding?"

"Oh, of course he does." Lacus smiled widely as she saw Cagalli's surprised face, "He helped us install it."

"As I expected." Cagalli raised her shoulders to express her feelings.

-----xxx-----

The wedding venue had four entrances, the north entrance, south entrance, western entrance and eastern entrance. The north and south entrance were built for the guests so they could enter the venue from whichever entrance they liked. The western entrance was built for the close families of the couple and also their bridesmaids and groom's men. However the eastern entrance was built for the staff, you can call it 'staff-only' entrance and exit. The eastern entrance would lead directly to the main kitchen and storage room also leading to the administration office building.

There were a lot of security guards who were standing in front of the entrances, each of them checking the guests' invitation and ID-card. Lacus sure had prepared for the worst possibility and most of the guards were ZAFT's soldiers (even thought they weren't the elite one).

It was 30 minutes before the wedding ceremony started and there were a lot of people who had arrived there earlier that it's supposed to be. The staffs were getting very busy especially the ones who were working in the kitchen. The eastern entrance was crowded and unfortunately the security there wasn't as tight as the other entrances.

Knowing the details about the security system, Meyrin Hawke confidently yet silently walked to the direction of the main kitchen. She didn't look like someone who was going to attend a wedding ceremony. In fact, she did want to attend the ceremony too but since Meyrin and Gerald was trapped in a traffic jam on their way… (Gerald said, "Curse Aprilius-2's traffic jam! I wanted to be assigned in Sextilis but they put me in this damn city!") …they wouldn't be able to make it since they had an important mission to be accomplished.

Meyrin had prepared herself for the party though. She had bought a very nice dress to wear during the party but she wouldn't wear it at least not before she had accomplished her mission. Now, she was standing near the entrance, clad in her casual clothes but somehow she had managed to borrow an apron from the administration office there so people would recognize her as one of the staff there. She took a glance at her appearance and then she smiled to herself while she thought, _'This apron has a 'trainee' sign on it. Perfect. It would be obvious if I made a terrible mistake here'_.

"Hey, you! The redhead over there!"

Hearing the high-pitched voice just now, she took a look at her surroundings to make sure that she wasn't the only redhead there. She didn't like being called redhead though, it seemed impolite and rude to her. Whenever she was being called redhead and Lunamaria was with her, Lunamaria would just kick the one who had called them redhead's ass and then Meyrin would cheer for her from her back. Recalling those childhood memories had made a smile popped out from Meyrin's face…

"Hey, you, redhead! I'm calling you, sleepyhead!"

The high-pitched voice kept calling a certain redhead and it took a few seconds for Meyrin to realize that she was the only redhead there.

She promptly answered, "Yes, Ma'am?"

"What have you been doing huh? Slacking off?" A fat old lady approached her with angry expression on her face and then Meyrin faced her while she kept his head down, trying not to seem arrogant or rebellious.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am."

"Good thing you feel sorry for that, little girl. Now go to the main kitchen and help them with the potatoes! Since you are trainee you're not allowed to touch the stove! Get it?"

'_How ironic_,' Meyrin thought inside her head, '_I used to say that to Lunamaria __when we were kids__. She couldn't cook at all. __She__ only learned to cook a few months before her marriage with Shinn. Hearing someone __forbid__ me to touch the stove, it just sounds so ridiculous to me.'_

"Get it?"

"Oh!" Meyrin woke up from her daydream and then promptly answered the old lady while saluting her the way ZAFT soldiers did, "Yes Ma'am! I'll do my best!"

"You have nice guts, little girl. But you don't have to salute me since I'm not a commander or what not. Now go and do your work!"

"Yes Ma'am!" She promptly answered as she walked into the direction of the main kitchen while she laughed at her stupidity. Her military instincts hadn't faded away after all. She still thought that she was in the ZAFT military and she sometimes saluted her superiors the way she did when she was in the Military even though they kept telling her that she was currently working at ZAFT's Crime Investigation Bureau, not ZAFT's Military Forces. She recalled the way she saluted the old lady and somehow that had reminded her about her times at Minerva with the late Captain Talia Gladys. She really respected her for her ability and wise decisions and truly she admired her for being able to be a professional, not getting mixed up with work and personal affairs.

She saw a lot of people walking in and out the kitchen, some of them were really hard-working while the others looked tired and lazy. She knew that some older women who was working in the kitchen stared at her the moment she entered the kitchen, perhaps they were wondering. 'What would a child like her do in this place?' or 'A trainee, huh? See if you can survive here.' However she gave no response to them as her eyes examined the entire room, trying to find the potatoes. She finally found them lying in the corner of the room. She wasn't so sure about what to do with the potatoes so she decided to ask a young woman who was standing near it.

"Uhm, excuse me, I'm new here…" Meyrin briefly asked to the woman standing near the potato, "…what should I do with these potatoes?"

The young woman who was busy sorting the fruits glanced at her and then she answered "Peel them with the other three girls who are standing near the sink and when you're done with those, help me cut this fruit for the dessert."

"Yes." She replied and walked to the direction of the three girls who were peeling potatoes. She was about to start peeling them, but then she found out that there was no potato peeler left for her.

Looking at one of the girl's direction, Meyrin asked her, "I'm sorry, do you know where the rest of the potato peelers are?"

"I don't know." The girl answered her shortly and in an unfriendly manner, "Why don't you use a knife? My friend is using a knife too and you should be able to do it well since you've been accepted to work here."

"Oh, yes…" She sighed as she took a sharp knife from the cutting block and then she took a potato before peeling it. Even though she didn't use a potato peeler like the other worker, she was able to peel it as fast as the others. She tried to concentrate in peeling the potatoes, but in her heart she was cursing Gerald for giving her such a task.

'_He'd better raise my salary unless he wanted me to kill him__.'_

She thought as she put the peeled potato inside a large bucket filled with cool water to prevent the potatoes from being oxidized. She kept peeling them when she heard the sound of the wedding bells ringing. The main kitchen's distance from the venue wasn't very close but she could still hear the sound of the bell ringing.

"Yeah, whatever." She mumbled as her hands kept working steadily. "I'm going to miss the whole wedding ceremony."

"Hey, Callista! Come over here and help me with the salmon." A woman shouted from behind her back, calling the girl who was standing beside Meyrin. She didn't really mind her sudden loud shouting. However her face seemed so disturbed because she heard some noises in her ear.

Her ear. That's right, she had set a very small receiver on her earring so she could hear Gerald laughing very clearly even though he couldn't see her. His laughing at her sure was annoying and she wanted to shout at him so badly but it would make everyone who was working inside the kitchen stared at her in amazement.

"So, you're peeling potatoes, Meyrin?"

Gerald was waiting near the eastern entrance. He sat in his car with his laptop opened and he was busy tracking Meyrin, in case he had to go after her if something bad happened. He typed something very fast using the keyboard, trying his best not to let the communication line fade out. There was a lot of radio signal distraction at the venue and it had given him a lot of difficulties to maintain a stable communication with Meyrin. While maintaining the communication line, he tried to keep an eye on everyone who was entering or leaving the area, one of them might be their target.

"Yes." Meyrin hissed silently to the receiver as her hands were still busy working with potatoes. "Thanks to you and your stupid planning, now I'm here, peeling these damn potatoes."

"Sorry then…" He apologized quickly before Meyrin turned out mad at him. "…but surely it can't be helped. I can't cook at all!"

"You have to raise my payment." She whispered while her eyes wandered throughout the room. She didn't want anyone else to know about her secret communication line.

"Oh, I will."

"Really?" She whispered in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. By the way Meyrin, I want you to keep an eye on your surroundings, okay?"

"Sure. That's what our mission is all about, right?" She replied as she saw the girls who stood beside her left her alone one by one, leaving only her to handle those potatoes.

"Yeah. I've attached a sensor on you too so if something bad happens, don't worry, I'll handle the stuff."

"Thank you." Meyrin was about to say something again to Gerald when suddenly a very big guy bumped into her, causing her to break her concentration in peeling the potatoes and she accidentally cut her own index finger. She hissed silently in pain by the time she felt the sensation of warm blood oozing from her wound and unfortunately it wasn't a very small cut on her index finger.

Gerald, who was on the other communication line, heard Meyrin saying 'ouch' by chance. Besides, he also heard a bumping sound right before her saying 'ouch'. Concerned by his subordinate's safety, he promptly asked, "Meyrin, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She answered as she kept peeling those potatoes even though her index finger was hurt and it was a bit painful for her to bear. "It's just a small cut on my index finger. I'm not used to peeling potatoes without potato peeler". Meyrin was really sure that nobody heard her murmuring at that time the whole main kitchen crew was very busy and noisy so nobody would hear her murmurs and whispers in that kind of situation.

"Be careful." Gerald reminded her as he reloaded his guns with proper amount of ammunition. He was sure that his car smelled of gunpowder now, he didn't like it though. He would clean the gunpowder odor with everything possible because he really hated having a gunpowder-smelling car. Besides, girls wouldn't like to be offered a ride in such cars.

"I will." She answered with a low voice so she wouldn't be discovered.

"Oh, one more thing, have you checked the warehouse area?"

"I haven't. I'm stuck here with these damn potatoes, Gerald."

"Oh, sorry. Well actually I want you to finish them as soon as possible and then go check the warehouse. There are a lot of male workers there and see if you can find Calvin Pelkowski."

"Okay. Gerald, I won't talk to you from now on because my superior is approaching…" Meyrin told Gerald as her eyes wandered to the direction of her superior, the fat lady whom she saluted back then.

"Have you finished with the potatoes, young lady?" The woman asked her in a bossy manner.

"Only 2 more to go, Ma'am." She answered as politely as she could.

"Good. Oh, wait a minute. Did you cut your index finger?" She asked Meyrin, looking concerned at the oozing blood from her finger.

"Yes, I did, Ma'am. I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry. Finish those two potatoes and then go to the left of warehouse, there's a small infirmary for workers at the left side of warehouse. Use some proper medications to treat your wound and then come back here since you still have a lot more to do."

"Yes, Ma'am." Meyrin nodded and then finished those potatoes while enduring the pain from her wounded finger. She was glad she only had two more to go. She finished them quickly and then rushed to the direction of the warehouse with a smirk on her face. She was about to think of some ways to sneak into the warehouse but she didn't need to do that since the main chef had told her to go to the direction of the warehouse herself.

Grinning stupidly as she walked to the direction of the warehouse, she didn't pay attention during her way and she carelessly bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She promptly apologized to the blonde guy she had bumped into, "I didn't mean it."

"It's okay." that guy answered as Meyrin carefully gazed at him, trying to match him with the physical identity of her target that night. Actually he was really different from the one in the picture but Meyrin recalled what Gerald had said to her. Calvin Pelkowski was very good when it came to deceiving people.

"Oh, what's wrong with your finger?" That guy bent himself down and Meyrin recognized the strange accent on his voice, it was definitely Russian accent. She examined his face while she tried to appear as calm as she could. His face was completely different from the one shown in the ZAFT Crime Investigation Bureau, in fact Calvin Pelkowski has more than 50 guises and nobody could recognize him, whether he dressed as a guy or a girl.

"Oh, nothing, it's just a small cut." Meyrin promptly replied, trying to make her face look as innocent as it could be. Meyrin was good when it came to acting innocent and child-like; perhaps it was due to her childish behavior.

"Let me see." The guy suddenly took Meyrin's hand and he was about to take a look at her wound when Meyrin suddenly realized something wrong on that man's teeth. She really knew that structure, for she had been memorizing Calvin Pelkowski's face for hours and she was really sure that it was him.

She examined his gesture and when she was so sure that he was off-guard, she quickly bent forward, pretending to lean onto him but actually she was preparing herself to tackle him and when she did it, he fell ungracefully on the ground while she quickly grabbed both of his hands and then twist them backwards, securing them with a handcuff while she said opened the communication line to Gerald, saying, "Calvin Pelkowski, you're under arrest!"

"Ahh!" That guy groaned from under her violent moves. "What are you doing, bitch?"

"I'm not bitch, jackass." She replied them with the same amount of profanities while she showed that guy her licence as ZAFT's special agent; "I am Meyrin Hawke, ZAFT's special agent. And I have strong alibis to arrest you tonight."

She was smiling proudly as she tried to secure him while she heard Gerald saying, "Meyrin, are you sure you caught the right person? Pelkowski isn't easy to be recognized, you know. He is not strong but he's…"

Meyrin was about to insult Gerald in return but suddenly she heard something from the direction of the wedding venue. 'Right', she thought, 'The exchange vow will be started…'

"I'll wait for you at point Delta." Meyrin murmured to him while she dragged the immobilized villain to a place where there were no people passing by.

-----xxx-----

Cagalli was standing beside Athrun and he couldn't tell how uneasy she felt during that time. It wasn't because her standing side by side with Athrun in front of the guests, well actually she had started feeling nervous by the time she glanced at the guests' direction.

She saw a lot of close friends there at the party. Some of them were from Orb and also some who were from PLANT and Earth Alliance Federation. What she didn't expect was the attendance of some members of Scandinavian Royal Family. Karl Anders Rosvaenge and Nissa Helgi Rosvaenge were also there. She had no idea why Lacus invited them but she decided to keep that question to herself, until the wedding reception began.

'_Oh no, they're here__.'_ She cursed inside her head. Things had turned complicated even without the arrival of a guy who had a crush on her. Nissa, his sister, wasn't really annoying; she was actually a nice girl. However, Nissa was the one who convinced Cagalli to accept her brother's feelings and if she saw her going out with Athrun, Nissa would be very disappointed because she had hoped for his brother and Cagalli going out together. Moreover, Nissa was quite short-tempered and she didn't easily control her emotions. Oh well, she hoped for a good relationship between Orb and the Kingdom of Scandinavia, despite their complicated feelings to each other.

"Hey, Cagalli, wake up!" A guy who was standing beside her hissed silently yet sharply, waking her up from her self-thoughts. "It's the exchange vow part."

"Oh, yeah…" She tried not to lose her concentration because she wanted to memorize the scene well in her mind. It was her twin brother's wedding after all. However all she could do was just staring at the guy beside her.

Cagalli had to admit that Athrun looked really gorgeous right now. She seldom saw him clad in a suit and she couldn't take her eyes off him. Athrun was wearing a black suit to match Kira's but in her opinion, Athrun looked more stunning than her twin brother that night. Perhaps it was because her feelings to him but surely, she had to admit that Athrun was the most gorgeous and handsome guy she ever met.

She shook her head softly to get her thought out from her head. She took a glance at Kira and Lacus, who were standing in front of the. She knew that Kira was really nervous, he was about to say his vow in front of the guests and, of course, the priest but truthfully Cagalli would never expect that Kira will be that nervous. She could see his fingers trembling.

And then she looked at Lacus. She looked pretty confident; a sweet smile appeared on her face. She tried to calm Kira by smiling to him from beneath her veil and it sure had effects because Cagalli saw Kira's fingers stop trembling.

'_That's what you call the power of love__.'_ Cagalli sarcastically thought when she saw that scene. _'Kira's such a crybaby… Oh wait… I used to be the same as Kira years ago…' _Cagalli recalled her times when Athrun had to be beside her to calm her nerves before she started delivering her speech to the whole nation of Orb. Well, now she couldn't blame Kira for being nervous for she also used to do the same and she really needed Athrun's gentle smile and voice to calm her during her difficult times.

Cagalli gazed at her twin brother and her soon-to-be-sister-in-law and then she smiled at them both. _'__Way to go, Kira.'_ She thought briefly. She knew that she couldn't give Kira a message just by thinking of it but at least she wanted to give him a smile too.

Looking straightly at Lacus' azure eyes, Kira steadily stated his vow to his one and only, saying, "I, Kira Yamato, do solemnly swear, to take you, Lacus Clyne to be my wife. To have and to hold you, to honor and treasure you, to be by your side in sorrow and in joy, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish you always. I promise you this, with my heart, with my soul, all of the days of my life. I can't promise you things will always be easy, but I can promise that I will always be there for you, to love you. I will be by your side for as long as you'll have me. I will love you always for as long as we both shall live; this is my promise to you."

A silence occurred for a while and now it was Lacus' turn to deliver her vow to Kira. She looked at Lacus in amazement. She knew that Lacus was always beautiful and charming, especially whenever she sang her songs or delivering her speeches to bring peace out to the world. However, Lacus looked more graceful, beautiful and charming in her current attire and her sweet smile had added more features to her.

"Kira, wars and chaos have both brought us together and torn us apart, but through it all we remained. Our love blossomed before either of us realized what had happened. We faced trials, struggles, and difficult times, even coming close to death, yet here we stand today, exchanging vows, pledging our love to one another. I love you with all that I am and could never imagine myself with anyone else. You are my knight in shining armor, my protector, my hero. You bring me comfort when I am hurting, peace when I am restless, strength when I am weak. When I am cold, you bring me warmth. When I am alone, you bring me companionship. You are all I could ever have asked for. I, Lacus Clyne, pledge my love, my life and all that I am to you."

Cagalli smiled at the scene before her but at the same time, she accidentally looked at another direction of the so-called greenhouse. There was someone who was walking at the outer side of it; seemed so interested to take a look at what was happening inside but had no rights to enter and watch the ceremony. Instead of watching the exchange ring part, she tilted her head so she could take a look and recognize the one who was standing outside.

The priest faced both Kira and Lacus, saying, "A ring is an unbroken circle signifying the never ending love between these two people…"

She didn't hear what the priest had said, instead of paying attention to the wedding ceremony, she took a careful look at the guy who was peeping at the ceremony. Somehow that guy looked familiar to her. She used to see his face years ago, yet she still couldn't bring herself to recognize him fully. At the same time, Lacus' pink Haro, along with Kira's Torii flew towards the altar, bringing both of the wedding rings. Most people found it was very cute to have those tiny robots brought the rings, but Cagalli just didn't pay attention to the ceremony.

Kira took the ring which was held by Torii and after he had taken it, he held Lacus' hand sliding it through her ring finger saying, "With this ring, I seal my promise to you."

The mysterious guy now stood and Cagalli could see his full figure. He was very tall; his height was almost two meters and he had tanned skin. However he had small eyes and dark hair, typical Asian guy. She once had seen a guy similar to the one who was behind the greenhouse. The guy, whom she had ever seen, was named Akio Moriyama. Moriyama was a lieutenant at Orb's Military Force but she seldom saw him since he was always assigned to serve the family of Seiran. She didn't know a lot of things about him; she only met him during her visits to the Seiran's residence. She never heard him saying anything to her except, "Good morning, Cagalli-sama!" and "Have a nice day, Cagalli-sama!"

During Cagalli's daydream, Lacus took the other ring from her Haro and did the same to Kira, saying, "With this ring, I seal my promise to you."

She gazed more carefully at him and she wasn't very sure about the guy she was seeing at that moment was really Akio Moriyama. The truth was, Akio Moriyama died along with the Seirans during the second Bloody Valentine war and she dared to swear that he had died because she was the one who held a mass burial ceremony to honor those who died in the war. She thought it was impossible for Moriyama to survive but when she had recognized his face, she knew that it was really Moriyama's face, except that he had a few scars on his face.

The priest gave Kira a small nod as he said, "You may kiss the bride."

All of the guests who were watching the whole ceremony clapped as hardly and as noisy as they could the moment Kira and Lacus' lips met, but Cagalli didn't do the same. Instead of looking at the groom and the bride, her eyes widen at the view of the guy. Everyone's attention was on Kira and Lacus, nobody realize that a psycho was over there, trying to take a peep of what was going on inside.

'_Crap! How can he get through the security system?'_ She cursed inside her head, _'If Lieutenant Moriyama is still alive, that Seiran monkey would survive too wouldn't they? But the possibility is very low…'_

He turned his face to her from the outer side of the greenhouse and she was so shock to find him saluting her in his usual way. She once thought that she saw a ghost and she was about to plead the priest to do some exorcism effort to shoo the so-called-ghost, but not until she realized that she actually wasn't seeing a ghost.

That guy saluted her while his mouth formed such words like, "Have a nice day, Cagalli-sama!"

She didn't hear the sound but somehow, she managed to read his lips' movement.

'_What would an Orb soldier do in such place? Moreover, he should be dead!'_ She thought.

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**Author's note:** Oh well, thank you for reading and also, reviewing.

_Hanzai to Hanzaisha: Crime and Criminal_ (this title is kinda lame, isn't it?)

Take care and God bless

Nii-Blueberryfreak


	27. Hanzai to Hanzaisha Second Part

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own GS n GSD**

Thank you very much for JC who has given me the strength to finish my thesis :)

Thanks to SamuraiGirl7 who has willingly edited my chappies. Thanks a lot!

* * *

_**Chapter 27: Hanzai to Hanzaisha Second Part**_

"I didn't spoil it."

"Hmm?" Lacus turned to the man who was standing beside her, his hand around her waist, holding her lovingly and when she looked into his eyes, she knew that she had made the right decision in marrying him.

"I mean, I didn't do anything embarrassing when I was saying it." said Kira as he grinned widely to the woman whom he was holding and caught her with her usual gentle smile, a smile that was dedicated for him, not for anyone else and that sort of feeling had made him wanted to lock her in full embrace, expressing his sincere feeling towards her.

"Oh, the vow exchange part?" finally Lacus realized what Kira had meant before, and then she giggled a little and continued, "Actually I don't mind even if you spoiled the whole wedding and made the EO black out in disappointment and shame."

"Huh?" raising one of his brows, he replied to her, saying, "What did you mean by that, Lacus?"

Giggling again, Lacus hold one of his hands as she replied, "No, I mean, your mistakes won't change anything between us."

"Thanks a lot, then…" He responded as he took her hand and led her to the place where they should be, the wedding venue. "Shall we go now?"

Lacus smiled at him as she held his hand and leaned towards him.

"Thank you, Kira." She murmured, probably just to herself because she did it so softly and to be honest she hoped that Kira didn't hear her saying that.

"What for, Lacus?"

Lacus seemed a bit startled, she didn't expect Kira to hear what she had said before and she completely forgot that Kira was no ordinary coordinator. Kira was the ultimate coordinator so he had better senses, even better than ordinary coordinators. She would like to tell him the reason why she thanked him before but unfortunately she couldn't. She didn't know why she thanked him, she felt just like saying it. It seemed that Kira had given her everything that she needed, even more than those.

"Everything." She answered.

"Wasn't I the one who should say it?" Kira grinned and said. "Thanks for everything, Lacus."

"Oh, well, I think we both should say it to each other." Lacus chuckled and then said, "You're welcome, Kira."

Kira walked for a few steps as he held Lacus' hand. He took a glance at her right hand and when he saw a ring on it, he suddenly smiled for no reason; perhaps he was just expressing his blissfulness.

"By the way, Lacus…" Kira said as his eyes looking into the crowd and examining them one by one because he was looking for someone, "…have you seen your maid of honor? I think she left right after the ceremony ended."

"Oh, I don't know. Why don't we ask Athrun about it? Perhaps she's with him…"

"Athrun is with his ZAFT comrades." Kira said as he pointed at a certain direction. There were Dearka, Yzak and Athrun. Beside Yzak there was a girl whom Kira took as Shiho Hahnenfuss, his fiancée. Dearka was alone as usual and he seemed to be looking for someone in the party. Dearka knew that Miriallia had been invited to the party by Lacus but until that moment, he still hadn't found her.

"Let's ask him, then." Lacus smiled as she walked to their directions. At the same time, Athrun saw them walking towards his direction and he immediately excused himself from the group because when he saw Kira's expression he knew that Kira wanted to talk about something with him and he thought it would be better if he had left the group before they started talking.

"Hey Athrun." Kira greeted him and then he quickly went into the details, "Have you seen Cagalli?"

"Uhm, she's went to the restroom." He said as he pointed to his left.

"Surely Athrun, are you pointing to some random direction?" Kira grinned sheepishly at his best friend's behavior, "The toilets are in your right"

"Huh? Really? But she just ran to the left."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, she even confidently said that the bathrooms were…" Athrun stopped for a while and for some reasons he had found himself dumbfounded, "…were in the left. She couldn't be lost, could she?"

"I doubt it."

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She walked towards the corridors with her handgun fully loaded in her hands and if she wasn't mistaken, she heard someone walking down the silent corridor. She wanted to shout, asking who it was to reduce her stress was but she would save that for forever since doing that was totally unwise and she would gather a lot of attention.

She was also curious about what was happening outside. She was sure that the guy was really Akio Moriyama and also, 'dead'. However she couldn't imagine how he could survive and appear at the wedding. The security was very tight and he wouldn't be able to break in unless someone from the ZAFT army betrayed them and told the technology and secrets of Clyne Faction to him. If it did happen, why he would want to break in? He couldn't just want to say 'hello' to the Princess of Orb, couldn't he?

She took a deep breath and walked at a steady pace while she tried her best not to be heard by anyone. Concentrating on her surroundings, she kept herself at siege so she could avoid being attacked suddenly.

'_I feel sorry for them__.'_ She thought as she walked slowly and silently to make sure that she couldn't be heard. _'Athrun and Kira, of course. I guess I have had enough lying to them'._ But then she shook her head to get her concentration back on her combat state.

The corridor was not very long but the pace at which she had been walking made it seemed so. Aside from the corridor there were some rooms beside it and when she tried to open one of them she found it to be locked. She glanced at the small opening above it and she saw that all the lights inside it had been turned off and so did the others. She sighed, _'If just one of the rooms were opened, I guess I could come in and watched the situation from inside it as well as trying to keep myself as safe as possible…'_ She thought.

She began walking again, then she crept against the wall to avoid a dangerous encounter with anyone. She wondered what was happening at the wedding reception as she crept. She imagined Kira and Lacus would be talking with the guests and perhaps Athrun would be having a nice chat with some members of the Archangel since he rarely met them and the opportunities for hanging out together were very scarce.

Trying to concentrate again, she thought that Athrun might be angry at her if he found out that she had been out all by herself just to chase a mysterious guy who happened to be someone who had survived the war at Orb. _'If he ever finds out…'_ she thought with a naughty smile on her face. She used to be like this during her childhood days; sneaking down the kitchen trying to find sweets and goodies with, _'If father ever finds out'_ thinking inside her head. Heck, Uzumi always found out.

But that mysterious guy wasn't really an ordinary mysterious guy. Akio Moriyama used to serve the family of Seiran and she didn't really know him well. The one who's in charge for the family of Athha was Ledonir Kisaka and he didn't really know about Moriyama either. All he knew was Moriyama started his career in Orb Navy. Kisaka was from the Orb Army and Cagalli didn't really bother whether her guardian had come from Orb Army, Orb Navy, Orb Air Forces or Orb Space Forces. All she cared about was their work performance and loyalty.

She wondered if the Seirans had left Moriyama some unfinished task or whatever for he had showed himself right in front of her nose that night. If so, she had to find out what it was for it might concern her country. If something bad did happen to Orb, she would probably put all the blame on herself even though the blame wasn't hers.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of someone walking and if her eyes were not deceiving her, she was sure the person that she had seen at that time was Moriyama.

She tailed him, trying to satisfy her growing curiosity. Her gun was fully loaded and she was ready to shoot whenever she wanted to but she hesitated, afraid of the probability of gathering lots of attention. She had promised herself not to shoot abruptly and she was doing her best to keep calm no matter what the situation—

"Hh??!!"

Suddenly a pair of strong arms grabbed her so tightly that she could barely breathe and when she tried to struggled to free herself, she found her efforts were futile for the one who was holding her was too strong for her to handle. For the first time in her life, she cursed herself for being a natural.

"Don't shout, your highness."

She recognized the cold voice from behind her and knew that he was undoubtedly Moriyama. He covered her mouth with his hand and she knew that he didn't need to be strong just to shut her. He was doing it with no efforts at all while she was struggling desperately trying to save herself and shoot him in his leg, which would happen if she was lucky enough to do it.

"I didn't expect you to turn up in this party… My, you're the maid of honour… It's beyond my expectations, your highness."

She kept struggling for a few minutes but finally she realized that she couldn't overpower him, she was a natural for heaven's sake and he was very tall. It must be hard for her to break free from him and if she did try, she would just waste her energy. Knowing that she had to find another way to escape, she stopped struggling and she just stood still, breathing steadily so she could keep herself calm during that kind of situation. She held her gun with full awareness and tried to keep it safe from his hands. She didn't want to be disarmed for sure.

His hand still covering her mouth, preventing her screaming for it would gather a lot of attention and he didn't want to get caught. He had his own purposes for showing up in the party. He realized that she had stopped struggling so he loosened his grip upon her mouth so she could speak but he was very careful not to let her slip out from his grip.

Realizing that she was able to speak again, she said, "What are you doing here?"

"That's none of your concern, your highness." He replied with the same cold voice. "I've died already, remember?"

"I do remember, that's why I'm asking you what you are doing here, now, at this very place!" She raised her voice unintentionally, expressing her curiosity and impatience.

"My, you're not really a patient leader, are you?" He cackled as he said those phrases and then continued, "My death means that you no longer can use your authority against me. And don't even think about it…" he snapped her with his words. At that time, she was about to pull the trigger of her gun and shoot him in his legs but he grabbed her hand so she couldn't move her limbs. She was still lucky enough that he didn't get her gun. Perhaps he wanted to take it but he decided to leave her holding her gun for he thought it would be interesting to watch her take action with it.

"You!" He had driven her angry but she couldn't find the words for expressing her anger and she recalled that he had actually died, at least according to the data of Orb's Navy.

"You can't ask me anything, your highness…"

"Stop calling me 'your highness'!" She shouted with anger.

"Oh, are you the one who has the control?" He asked as he pulled something out from his waist. She had no idea about what that was until she suddenly felt the sensation of cold, sharp steel against her neck.

"Now, do as I say and I'll let you go." He pressed the knife harder to her skin but she knew that he hadn't hurt her, yet. She took a deep breath to calm her self and think about another way to get out from him. She was a bit panicked, who wouldn't be if someone was holding knife against their neck? One violent move meant her death, which was why she tried not to move too much. She was a bit afraid but she snapped her fears away; she had to take care of this guy.

"What do you want?" She asked him coldly as she stood still, his knife still at the same position as before.

"I've told you that you have no right to ask me questions."

"Then I don't have to follow your will either." She retorted as she glanced at her surroundings, nobody was around to help her.

"But I have this useful thing against your neck, your highness. And if I lost my patience it will pierce your skin, straight to your blood veins."

"Why did you fake your death?" She asked him again, quite ignoring the fact that she was in no position to ask him so.

"I've told you it's none of your business." He turned more and more impatient as she inquired about him continuously.

However she knew that by the time she drove him to his limits that he was no longer aware of her movements and realizing that she had planned a sudden escape, but after she asked him one more question…

"Is Yuuna alive?"

"Huh? Weird question. Why would you care about him?" He asked in return with curiosity written all over his face but suddenly he understood it and then he chuckled in an unpleasant way, at least it was unpleasant according to her opinion, "Oh, I see… you're worried that someday you'll have to marry him again, right? I remembered it very well, your highness."

'_Is this just my __imagination__ or he's trying to make me mad?_' She thought as she took a deeper breath to calm down, she didn't want to lose herself, not at that moment. All she needed was more patience but that was beyond her. She was a very rash person and being treated like that, she actually was surprised that she could hold her temper until that stage.

"Just answer me. Did Yuuna survive?" She asked him again but this time, although she seemed straight, she tried to gather her remaining patience and tried her best not to sound demanding.

"Answer me first. Why do you want to know about it?" He smirked as he moved the knife a bit lower, as if he was toying with her in a threatening manner, and then continued, "Are you so scared about that arranged marriage?"

"Don't…" She tried to cut his words off but he kept on talking.

"Oh, I remembered it very well… You and your bodyguard boyfriend… I knew both of you tried desperately not let anyone know about your secret affair-"

"I don't care about that damn arranged marriage. Now answer me!"

"He's dead. Yuuna-sama is dead." He replied unwillingly as he saw her intense look now had softened up a bit. Knowing that Yuuna is dead, she could breathe the way she usually did but somehow Moriyama didn't let himself be caught off guard so he suddenly secured his grip upon her, made her yelp silently even though her hand still held her gun steadily.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

"Isn't it obvious? We need to negotiate something with you, and you have to cooperate with us unless…"

"Unless what?" She asked as she felt the tip of the knife being drawn closer to her neck. He did it very slowly as her heartbeat began to race more and more rapidly. She couldn't just stand there and let him hurt her that easily. But on the other hand, she was totally overpowered by him because he was a coordinator and he was much taller than her. She couldn't struggle anymore, her struggling had proved to be futile and if she did struggle, she would stupidly let the knife pierced through her skin.

"Unless you want someone die." He was about to continue but suddenly they heard a foreign clicking noise from their back.

"Don't move." Athrun stood behind them, his gun fully loaded and he had already pulled the trigger, in other words, he was ready to shoot. His voice sounded cold and calm.

"Athrun?" She whispered curiously as she caught a glimpse of him carrying the gun and pointing it at Moriyama's direction which actually was her direction too since Moriyama was holding her, still with the tip of the knife against her neck. Athrun saw the glittering end of the knife and figured how it could turn really dangerous if he had taken the wrong decisions.

"Ah, I know you very well…" Moriyama chuckled as he turned himself so he could face Athrun directly now while dragging Cagalli so she would remain in the same position as before, "…yeah, you are the son of Patrick Zala…"

Athrun raised one of his brows in an annoyed manner. He never liked being called 'the son of Patrick Zala' for he didn't like the way his father took actions and he used to live under his father's shadow during his times at ZAFT military.

"…known as Alex Dino." He smirked as he said Athrun's alias, hoping that it would raise his temper and he would act recklessly. However Athrun was a calm person and he couldn't be provoked easily. Athrun just kept his eyes looking straight at Moriyama's as he tried to catch a few glimpse of her, hoping that Moriyama wouldn't choke her or pressed the knife until warm blood flew out from her skin.

The image of Cagalli being hurt by some random person had suddenly lit the unknown fire in his heart. He could kill him, he knew it very well that he could kill anyone who tried to hurt her but killing is the last thing he would do. He had promised himself that he wouldn't kill anyone again, for his own, and everyone's, good.

But now there he was, standing in some hallway, in front of him was the woman he treasured the most, being held by a random guy who tried to threaten her for something. He wanted to shoot but—

Cagalli made a sudden move that had startled Moriyama. She suddenly break free from his grip using all her might and with her quick movements, she managed to grab his arms and twisted them backwards. She used her gun to hit somewhere in his body so he bent himself a bit lower and she used that opportunity to hold him against the floor, '_the best way to secure a psycho'_, she thought.

Athrun, who sat there still with his gun pointed at Moriyama, now started to realize who it was. He had never met him before; he would be surprised if he hadn't. He saw him guarding the Seirans but actually they never talked before.

"Moriyama, you lost." She said as she put some of her weight to him so she could resist his movements.

"No, Cagalli-sama. I haven't, even though you've got my arms and legs tied."

"What did you mean by that?" She inquired forcefully as she put her gun at the back side of his head. He didn't appear to be scared even though she had had her gun at the back of his head.

"You're not going to shoot me." He smirked in an unpleasant way and it had driven her mad. She couldn't control her emotions anymore so she pressed the gun even firmer than before.

"Why not?" She replied with anger in her voice. "I can shoot you. I know how to shoot."

"My mistake, Cagalli-sama." Even though he called her in honorific terms, she knew that he was just using it to mock her, "You do can shoot. However, I doubt that you can kill."

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**Author's note:** Okay. Thanks for reading. Thanks for reviewing. Really sorry for the hiatus, I was doing my thesis back then. Now that the thesis has finished… Hehehe… Hahaha… HAHAHAHA!!! FREEDOM HERE I AM!!!!! 

God forbids us to kill each other… But now look at the world…

Hehe. I'm a murderer too actually. I always kill mosquitoes and flies :P

Btw, in Indonesia, the hand for the marriage ring is right not left! In America and UK they put the ring in left finger... but in INdonesia (and... yeah in GSD, in Orb) they put it on the right hand! I've just checked it and yeah... So... Sorry SamuraiGirl7... and thanks for your help... :)


	28. 弱さと強さ

Disclaimer: I don't own GS & GSD

Dear Jesus Christ, I really thank You for the inspiration and writing mood… Thank you very much!

Special thanks to SamuraiGirl7 who has willingly edited this fic. Thank you so much and get well soon :)

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_**Chapter 28:**__** Yowasa to Tsuyosa**_

"Why, you…" She was really angry but he was right. She couldn't kill. She would never be able to kill someone. It wasn't that she hadn't killed someone before, in fact she did, but she didn't really enjoy the feelings afterwards.

It was one day during her times at the Desert Dawn's Resistance fighter when she pulled the trigger of her gun and shot someone's heart. She was in a pinch though and her last option for staying alive was to kill that ZAFT soldier. Eventually, she killed him with a nice shot right on the soldier's heart. However their distance was quite close; in fact it was close enough for her to see the blood spurting from the place where the bullet placed itself and close enough for her to see the eye of the soldier suddenly turned dull in an unpleasant way.

Her first time killing someone had made her heart throb with guilt as the blood of the soldier stained her clothing. She wasn't scared of blood but she thought that she had done the wrong thing at that time. Perhaps that soldier had his family waiting for him in PLANT. Perhaps he has a lover that had been waiting for him to come back. Perhaps his parent had been waiting for him in worry and what if someone avenged her for that act?

Despite her thoughts and doubts, she told herself that killing was the only way to stay alive and she, of course, didn't want to die so she just shot that soldier. One perfect shot that had hit pierced his heart and ended his life mercilessly yet quickly so he needn't suffer for a long time. '_At least he didn't die in pain'_, she thought, and she continued fighting in the resistance fighter. However after Uzumi's death, she had decided not to kill again for a lot of reasons. She didn't want anyone else to die.

Her hands which were steady a few seconds ago now started to tremble as she recalled her memories of killing people. She didn't like killing people, heck, she did it.

Moriyama, who was observing her from below, now tackled her back because of her less awareness. Athrun who was watching them now took action; he leapt forward and then tried to seize him. Cagalli fell onto the floor and she nearly lost her grip on her gun but fortunately she managed to keep it secure in her hands. However she couldn't get up easily thanks to her dress. Lucky she wasn't wearing high-heels, it would be even harder for her to get up using them.

At the same time, Athrun was struggling with Moriyama who intended to take his gun but he failed. Athrun couldn't beat Moriyama easily; both of them were coordinators and both of them were military trained. Nevertheless, Athrun managed to disarm him and took his knife. He observed him hastily. Knowing that he was armed with nothing but his knife, he threw the knife in a random direction and he seized Moriyama's hands as he put his gun behind Moriyama's back.

Athrun threw a look at Cagalli which meant that he had taken care of Moriyama and she could do anything she wanted with him. Cagalli nodded at him and then walked a few steps closer to Moriyama. She wasn't about to kill him, she could call the security guards and tell them to seize Moriyama and bring him to Orb for further investigation.

"You can't kill me, your highness." He said in a cunning way which made her curious, and then continued, "That damn Uzumi had told you not to kill…"

"DON'T EVER SPEAK OF MY FATHER THAT WAY!!!"

Driven by her anger, she raised her gun and pointed it right in front of Moriyama's face. She couldn't stand whenever there was someone who spoke ill of her father.

"Oh, so that old Uzumi had indoctrinated you with that neutrality thingy? Or that he had told you not to kill?" He kept talking in a mocking manner and he didn't care about Cagalli. He wasn't scared at all, that was why he was brave enough to insult Uzumi in front of his daughter.

"STOP TALKING ILL OF MY FATHER!!!" She shouted as she began to pull the trigger. Her fingers moved on their own. She had told herself not to kill anymore but at that time she could do nothing to stop her fingers. She felt the urge for defending her father's name.

"Stop kidding around! You're not his daughter!"

Cagalli was terribly shocked by his statement and she suddenly dropped the gun onto the floor. She hadn't put the safety on for she had intended to use it a while ago. However Athrun feared that the gun might be triggered as she dropped it unintentionally. Athrun was about to catch it but it was too late; the gun had reached the floor. So he quickly changed his mind; he decided to drag Cagalli to somewhere safe. He thought the gun was about to fire by itself but actually it didn't, much to his surprise.

"How do you know?" She asked Moriyama meekly, as if she was terribly shocked that she had lost all her powers and might, and also her bravery.

"I know it from him." He answered confidently and his face brightened in victory. He had defeated her in some ways, indeed. Moreover, he was really satisfied with himself. He thought she had become speechless and unable to offend him again. However, he couldn't his victory just yet, he had to confirm it first with his last few words.

"Him?"

"Yes. The only one left in Orb." He nodded at her short, powerless enquiry.

Power, might and courage seemed to have been drained completely from her. Her eyes weren't fiery like before and she didn't even have the will to pick her gun and fight back. She cursed herself for being a coward. It seemed that the words from Moriyama had taken her aback and she couldn't think clearly.

"_You're not his daughter!"_

"_Is it okay for you, Uzumi? She's not your daughter__."_

Time seemed to roll her memories back to her past, when he overheard Unato talking to her father. She was surprised when she heard that but she chose not to worry about it for she could have misheard both of them and live her life as Uzumi's daughter. However when Uzumi gave her that photograph with her and Kira inside it, she started to believe what she had refused to believe years ago.

Athrun saw her gazing pointlessly and her face turned a bit pale. He tried to snap her back to reality by simply saying, "Cagalli! Don't get carried away!"

"This is none of your business!" Moriyama struggled to break free from Athrun as he seemed to be angry after hearing what Athrun had said to Cagalli. He realized that Athrun's grip was very strong so he decided to quit his struggling and now he was facing Cagalli, smiling cunningly at her upset face, saying "You can take me to Orb, Miss. But when you do so, he will do something horrible to her, and at you."

"Don't tell me…" Cagalli's eyes were full of doubt and uncertainty, she had to ask him, to confirm everything about what was happening at that time, heck she couldn't do it. Perhaps it was because she had already known about them she was just too scared to believe it.

"Yes. She's the only one at your side now. And he's going to ditch her out if you capture me."

Cagalli's eyes widen in surprise but she said nothing, trying her best to think clearly.

"Her life is in your hands." Moriyama smirked and continued, "I don't care if you're going to kill me because even if you did so, she'll be dead, right after me."

"Cagalli," said Athrun who was unable to comprehend what they were talking about but he wasn't about to let Cagalli choose the wrong decision so he decided to warn her despite his status as an immigrant worker in Orb saying, "Don't get carried away! He's probably just decei…"

"He's right, Athrun." Cagalli shook her head weakly. "Release him."

"Cagalli, don't…"

"I said release him! You have no right hold him!" She shouted to him and Athrun, hearing her saying that suddenly had made him felt uneasy. However her tone of voice was strange. He didn't want to release him but he had to. Cagalli was right; Athrun had no rights against him.

Reluctantly, he released Moriyama, who stood up with a broad, unpleasant smile on his face. He gave Athrun a humiliating look as he walked away from him but he didn't head to the exit door instead he walked closer to Cagalli. Athrun quickly took his gun and pointed it at Moriyama thinking that he might intend to hurt Cagalli.

Moriyama immediately lifted both of his hands, the gesture for giving up, and he said to Athrun, "No, I'm not going to do anything evil to your beloved girlfriend. I'm just saying something to her…"

"Stay away from her!" He ordered Moriyama but unfortunately he ignored Athrun. Athrun was about to leapt forward and seize him again when he recalled that he had no real reason too. Moriyama kept walking towards Cagalli and when he was at the perfect distance, he whispered a few words to her.

She gasped silently while both of her eyes widen as her ears caught the words.

"So, you get it now, don't you?" Moriyama waved casually as if nothing had happened before and then he quickly disappeared.

Silence occurred between the two of them as Cagalli picked her gun from the floor and putting the safety lock back onto it. She lifted her dress quite ignoring the fact that Athrun was there watching every single move she made, but she didn't care and she couldn't care about anything at the moment. She slid her dress even higher and then when she had found the holster she quickly put her gun back into hit still with the same silence covering them.

He was thinking while she was standing there keeping her mouth shout as she bit her lips in agony. He didn't expected things to turn out like this. Actually when he was out to search her he hoped for her to be strolling on her own, safe with anyone's disturbance. He thought she was just lost during her way to the toilet and when he had found her, he'd scold her, asking her why hadn't she ask him first where the toilet was. He hoped that after he had found her he would hold her hand again and lead her back to the party with a smile on her face.

But he was wrong.

There she was, standing with her white dress to match Lacus'. There were a few stains on it because she had fallen not long ago, but he thought people wouldn't know about it since they were very small. She walked closer to the wall of that corridor without even talking to him. She couldn't look back, she couldn't look back at him for some reason she didn't even know. It felt just like making the biggest mistake of all and having someone witnessed what you had just done. She clenched her fist and then hit the wall, not very hard since her agony had reduced her power and will.

Athrun watched her, busy thinking of what he was going to do to comfort her. Slowly, he walked towards her. She seemed to know that he was approaching but took no action towards him. He eventually made his way to her side and was about to put one hand around her shoulders when he realized that she was trembling in anger and sadness. He didn't see tears on her face but he knew that she was terribly upset and miserable.

He took one of her hands very slowly. He feared that she might explode or something, but she didn't. In fact, she held his hand gently in return even though she didn't look at his eyes.

"Let's go." said Athrun very softly but she still could hear it. "Let's go somewhere else."

------xxx------

"Oh, that Murdoch." Kira scowled as he abruptly fixing his hair. His encounter with Murdoch had ruined everything he had planned to keep his so-called little sister, and he had to trust everything in Athrun's hands. He wanted to pursue her again but he thought twice about it. If he did pursue her, he wouldn't be able to protect Lacus. Heck, he had only been Lacus' husband for a couple of hours but abandoning Lacus was the last thing he could ever do to her.

"Guess I just leave Cagalli to Athrun… I do hope she's okay…" He mumbled as he walked towards Lacus who was now having a nice conversation with her high school friends. He was standing near her and she did notice him but Kira's encounter with Murdoch had forced him to cancel his plain joining Lacus' conversation and looking for Cagalli. Eventually he thought that it would be of no use to look for Cagalli because Athrun had already gone to do so. He walked towards Lacus to join her conversation, he surely didn't want to leave his wife but suddenly someone shouted at him from behind…

"Yo! Hey kid! It's been ages since the last time I saw you!"

Kira glanced backwards with annoyance and he found out that the one who had just shouted at him was Mwu La Fllaga, his comrade during his times at Archangel. He had shortened his hair a bit, it seemed much tidier now. There was still a scar on his face but even if it still existed, it didn't really affect his buoyant personality. Beside him was his wife, Murrue Ramius, but she didn't use that name anymore, she was known as Murrue La Fllaga now.

"Oh, Mwu-sa…" Kira was about to address him with the way he always did during his times at Archangel but it was too late, Mwu's strong hand had positioned itself on Kira's head…

"You've grown up!" said Mwu as he scuffed Kira's hair, made it even messier than before, much to Kira's annoyance, "and you're married to the Pink Songstress! You're very lucky to have her as your wife! Congrats!"

"Then you're unlucky to have me as your wife, Mwu?" Said a woman unpleasantly from Mwu's back much to his surprise.

Murrue walked towards them. She looked a bit annoyed but in truth she was only kidding. She was wearing a peach-coloured dress which matched her perfectly. However, anyone who saw her would know that she was pregnant at the moment because of the bump on her stomach.

"Oh, Murrue, I thought you were still finishing your dinner." Replied Mwu as he stopped tampering with Kira's hair ("Thank God" Kira murmured as he tried desperately to fix his hair), "How's the di-"

"Oh, the salmon was nice and thank you for your concern. Now answer me, Mwu. Are you unlucky to have me as your wife?" She said, folding her arms while one of them was holding a glass of champagne, half-empty.

"Okay, Murrue." Mwu looked rather speechless as he comprehended that he had to deal with her pregnant wife and her mood swings. "I'm very lucky to have you as my wife, okay? And this has nothing to do with Lacus Clyne…"

Murrue smiled widely at husband and said, "Its okay, I was just kidding. Oh by the way…" she turned to Kira then said, "…congratulations, Kira. Where's Lacus? I would like to congratulate her too…"

"I'm here, Murrue-san." Lacus suddenly appear from behind Kira, she was done talking with her former schoolmates and now she joined Kira, Mwu and Murrue. Kira gave her apologetic look because he didn't go with her a few moments ago but Lacus understood it completely she had seen how Murdoch 'captured' Kira so he couldn't join her back then.

"Oh, Lacus, congratulation on your wedding!" Murrue said to Lacus. "Oh, my, you look so beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, Murrue-san, Mwu-san and thanks also for coming." Lacus said to both of them.

"By the way Lacus, if I'm not mistaken, your maid of honor is Cagalli."

"Mwu, we're not supposed to call her that way any longer. We're working for her." Murrue frowned for a short time but then smiled again. "Oh yeah, where is she? Our Princess… She sure is busy; I can even see it from the news in Orb's TV station…"

Lacus turned to Kira just to find him shake his head, seeing this Lacus set a small smile on her face assuring Kira that everything will be alright and turned to Mwu and Murrue again saying, "She's just taking a walk, I guess she'll be back in no time."

"Oh, she's still with _him?" _Mwu guessed randomly based on his thought when he had seen Athrun and Cagalli at the ceremony. "I mean, is she still with your friend Athrun?"

"Yeah, sort of." Kira nodded and looked backwards half-hoping that Cagalli would return with Athrun beside her.

------xxx------

She leaned towards the pillar behind her. There was nobody on this side of the building. Athrun had checked the situation and he was sure that the place was safe enough for her. Being a bodyguard for nearly two years he had become an expert in that sort of stuff. He looked at her and he found her eyes were dull, as if they showed him her tiredness and never-ending burdens.

"Cagalli?" He tried to call her and she immediately responded to him. She turned her head towards him with a smile, but it wasn't a smile of happiness. She was just forcing herself to smile, trying to convince herself that everything was alright whereas they weren't.

"Everything didn't go as well as I thought it would…" She said before she let a sigh out from her mouth, "…tough, isn't it? However I'm sure every thing has an end, even bad things too."

He looked at her and saw that she had changed her expression. It was true that she was still upset but she was able not to lose herself and was being tough. He smiled gently. '_She is Cagalli, indeed_'.' He thought, as he moved closer to her.

"But still…" She continued as she gazed at the huge bush in front of them, covering them from prying eyes and thanks to it nobody realized their presence. "…I know they have an end but it's difficult for me to wait for the end to come… Guess I have to return to Onogoro tomorrow."

"Even though I don't like it…" He said as he took her hand and kept it inside his. "…I think that's the best thing you can do now."

"Thanks for understanding." She smiled as she held his hand in return, despite the fact that she was still upset about what had happened just before. "Thank you, and I'm sorry."

"Huh?" He raised one of his brows at her sudden apology. "What are you sorry for?"

"Because I've hidden a lot of things from you." She avoided his eyes as she said so and there was a hint of redness in her face. "So… Err… I'm sorry. I didn't want to drag you into things like this but… in the end… it's always you who got-"

Her words were suddenly cut off by him. He pulled her inside his embrace, quite ignoring what she was about to say because he didn't care, as long as she let him stay beside her he couldn't ask for more. Besides, he didn't want her to feel guilty or obligated to him. It was simply his will that he wanted to protect her that much and it was just him who was being possessive of her.

"You don't need to say that." Athrun said as he kept her in his embrace lovingly and gently. He knew she felt really wrong for dragging him into her affair but he knew also that she didn't mean it. She had wanted to deal with everything by herself and that was the reason why she didn't ask for anyone's help, him included.

"Ah, but I feel like saying that, Athrun…" She insisted as she rested her head on his chest. Her face was turning redder and redder slowly. She buried her face in his chest trying to hide it from Athrun, but somehow he knew that she was blushing and he also knew that she was trying to hide it from him. However he chose to remain silent about that for he liked seeing her hiding her face in his embrace.

'_She is strong__.'_ He thought. _'Strong enough not to get herself into humiliation. She's even stronger than before'_. His right hand was on her waist keeping her close to him and the other one was caressing her head gently in a loving way. As he was embracing her he felt a pair of hands were reaching to his shoulders and from that, he knew that she was embracing him in return. He set a small smile at his face just to appreciate their times together.

"You can say anything you want, Princess."

"Don't call me Princess." She scowled, still with her face buried in his chest.

"Okay, you can say anything you want, Cagalli." He repeated his sentence in a way she wanted him to do, after being protested by her in his prior statement. "But you have to remember one thing…"

"What is that?" Asked Cagalli as she raised her head and stopped burying it onto his chest. Her face didn't seem as red as before, perhaps that was why she had the courage to show her face again to Athrun.

"Just remember that whatever happens, you still have me." He said as he slowly brought his hands to cup her face.

Hearing what he had said just a moment before, her face gradually turned redder and redder. She realized it, but honestly she would like to gaze into his emerald eyes a little bit longer. She always liked the way they shone for her. However her face seemed unable to fulfil her will and her pride didn't let her show her blushing face to Athrun so she thought she would just turn her head into another direction. Nonetheless, when she was about to turn away, Athrun's hands had already cupped her face and she had no choice but to face him with all the redness in face. Besides, she thought she would just set her pride aside for only a moment, the very moment to be enjoyed with him.

She tried desperately to turn her face away from him but she couldn't. Athrun knew her very well, he knew that her pride wouldn't allow her to show her blushing face in front of him but he actually liked her blushing face very much for he thought she was very cute when she blushed. He gave her a small smile as if he wanted to assure her, make sure that everything would be alright. He gazed at her eyes and somehow, he found them very enchanting to him. He always liked how she gazed at him, with her amber eyes and blushing face. Nevertheless, he still could see how tired she was by just looking at her. Sometimes, he wanted to forbid her from working herself that hard but it could not be helped, she was the Princess for Heaven's sake and it's natural for her to do her best for her country. All he could do was just to support her no matter what happens.

He gazed at her again while admiring at her features. He liked seeing how her amber eyes avoided him clumsily whenever their proximity was too close for her standards and that had made him think that she was too cute for her own good. After a few moments of staring each other with nothing said he drew himself closer to her and gave her a light, gentle peck on her forehead and when he had done it he gazed at her face again, only to find it blushed more heavily than a few seconds ago. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds but it had reddened her face dramatically, she looked as red as tomatoes.

"Uhm… Let's get back now, Athrun." She said while hiding her face from him. "Kira is probably wondering where I am now…"

"Yeah, I'm sure he is." He replied as he took her hand and led her way back to the party. "Oh, by the way, have I told you that you look lovely tonight?"

Cagalli stopped, looking at him with a frown on her face and then her face went redder than before. Realizing that her face had been redder, Cagalli pinched Athrun's arm playfully as she said, "Oh, Athrun, quit it! You're gonna make me as red as I can be!"

He smirked as he let her lean into him while they were walking and even though she was still hiding her face he took a glance at her secretly and he saw she was smiling.

"Oh, well, Athrun… if you did mean it… Thanks." She replied softly, continuing to lean towards him as they walked back to the party.

* * *

**Author's note:** I want to make more cute scenes! Actually I wanted to make more complicated action scenes but that was difficult! So I decided to simplify it and yeah… It came out like this in the end… LOL 

I hate the 30 years ban of using Chinese in here… Oh, now it is allowed to speak Chinese here, but surely the 30 years have caused a certain gap in the usage of Chinese, and here I am, a Chinese who learns English before Chinese :D anyway, I have to study for my exams :(

Thanks for reading and reviewing. And good luck for all JLPT (日本語能力試験) participants throughout the world! Especially to those who take the third level, like I do ;)

God bless

-薝玫英 a.k.a. Nii Blueberryfreak-


	29. 踊りましょう

**Disclaimer: I do not own GS n GSD**

**OOOOH GOD THANKS A LOT FOR REVIVING ME! JC, You ROXX!!**

warnings: This chapter hasn't been beta-read yet. Beware for grammatical errors. GRAMMAR (probably) SUCKS!

* * *

_**Chapter 29: Odorimashou**_

"Athrun! Cagalli! There you are! Where have you been?" asked Kira, he seemed relieved seeing both of them returned safely.

"Uh, bathroom", Cagalli said absent-mindedly as she released her hand from Athrun's grip, much to Athrun's disappointment. He thought she released it because of Kira but he was wrong, indeed. Cagalli's eyes were exploring the crowd, trying to find a certain someone. It wasn't because she wanted to meet that someone; actually she wanted to avoid that certain someone. She kept searching through the whole crowd and… She found that person. That person was carrying a glass of champagne, almost empty… And that person was going to ask for refill… She thanked Haumea that she needn't met that person, at least not now. That person had to refill his champagne first.

"Then what are you doing in the bathroom?" Kira enquired Cagalli again.

"Err, fixing my make-up", Cagalli answered absent-mindedly as her eyes still observing that certain someone, She didn't really care about her answers, she just answered them randomly because her concentrations were focused to do something else other than paying attention to Kira.

Hearing Cagalli's random answer, Lacus, Mwu and Murrue started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Liar, Cagalli", Kira rolled his eyes but at the same time he was trying to hold his laugh. Imagining Cagalli went to the bathroom just to fix her make-up was just too ridiculous for him.

"Murrue, are you drinking that champagne?" asked Mwu curiously, "You're not supposed to drink alcoholic drinks! You're…"

"Yes, I am seven months pregnant and I should avoid alcoholic drinks. And I've just drank half of this glass. You can have the rest of it if you want", Murrue handed the half-empty glass of champagne to Mwu, "I know the safe limits, okay"

"Oh, thanks". Mwu grinned to his wife.

Cagalli suddenly realized Mwu and Murrue's presence and she said, "Murrue-san! Mwu-san! It's been long, isn't it?"

"Well it is, Cagalli-sama", replied Murrue as she smiled back to Cagalli.

"You don't need to address me like that" Cagalli said as she showed her reluctance being called like that, "I'm still the same annoying girl as four years ago…"

"Yes, indeed. Perhaps you're still as annoying as ever but…" Mwu replied her as he finished all the remaining champagne in the glass Murrue had passed to him before, "…well now we both are working for you! There's now way we can address you the same way as we did years ago"

Cagalli chuckled lightly and replied, "Well, just think of this as an opportunity to address me any way you want. We're not at work now"

"Good thing, because we actually want to address you in lots of ways", Mwu joked to her and she chuckled again before Mwu continued, "But you've been pretty busy nowadays, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have", Cagalli nodded, "guess everyone in the headquarter knows it"

"Yeah… And I think it's a bit weird", Murrue grinned at her, "We work at Orb but we rarely meet there… And the only time we meet was now, in PLANT…"

"That's kinda ironic in some ways", said Kira as he put one of his hand on Lacus' shoulders.

"But still, it's better than not meeting anyone", Lacus suddenly said with a gentle smile on her face, "I'm very happy to meet you guys here, it's been really long since the last time we had a conversation like this"

"You're right", Mwu replied and then turned to Athrun, "So, Athrun, how are you now?"

"Fine", he shortly replied as his eyes suddenly spotted someone he didn't expect to come.

"Heard that you've been working in Orb", Murrue added.

"Oh, yeah, and it's for a long period", he answered again but now he was more aware because the person he had spotted just now was walking towards their direction. He did recognized that person and feeling a bit insecure by that person's presence, he was tempted to do something he shouldn't do to Cagalli but if he really did then he knew precisely that Cagalli would be mad at him… So he reluctantly decided not to do it.

Kira, Lacus, Cagalli and Athrun chatted with Mwu and Murrue for a while until Mwu and Murrue excused themselves, they had to go home early because Murrue should have a lot of rest and she couldn't stay until the end of the party.

Lacus was having a little chat with Kira when suddenly she realized someone had pat on her shoulder. She turned her head and found someone she was really familiar with. The one who had patted her on her shoulder was a girl, presumably older one or two years than Lacus and her attire were very fashionable.

That girl has waist length honey blonde hair with copper blonde highlight on her hair. She has a pair of almond-shaped blue eyes and her skin was a bit pale but it didn't reduce her beauty. She was wearing a turquoise knee-length formal dress with a pair of simple yet elegant high-heels. Judging from the way she dress and from the way she chose her accessories, she appeared to be very wealthy. She smiled widely to Lacus and gave her hand to her to congratulate Lacus on her wedding but nobody actually understand what she was saying, simply because her language didn't match the ears of Kira and Athrun.

Lacus appeared to be very surprised with that girl's attendance in the party and so did Cagalli but Lacus quickly shook her hand with that girl and hug her, simply because Lacus had not seen her in ages. On the other hand, Cagalli was just gaping at the scene before her; she didn't expect that girl's attendance as well. Lacus and that girl were chatting enthusiastically with a language Cagalli knew very well but actually Cagalli didn't get what they both were talking. She knew what language that was but she couldn't use it. Meanwhile, Athrun and Kira was just staring at each other in curiosity; they both knew neither that girl's connection with Lacus and Cagalli nor the foreign language they were using.

"Ah, Kira", Lacus finally said to Kira with a cheerful look on her face, "Let me introduce her to you. She used to be my playmate during my times in Copenhagen… Kira, this is Nissa, and…" she turned to the girl, "Nissa, this is Kira, my husband"

"Oh, nice to meet you", Nissa cheerfully shook Kira's hand while Kira's face looked more surprised than before because that girl who had spoken foreign language with Lacus now was speaking with him using a language he was familiar with, "And you are very lucky to have her as your wife"

"Ah, you embarrass me, Nissa", Lacus said as she smiled sheepishly, there had been lots of compliment she had received that night.

Cagalli, who had been gaping at both Lacus and Nissa now opened her mouth, spoke to Nissa, saying, "Nissa, what are you doing here?"

"Whoa! I was about to enquire you the same question but not until I realized that you are Lacus' maid of honour!" Nissa giggled in a very girly way but then she smirked, "Lacus is my former playmate. You know, we often played together when we were very young, right?"

"Yes", Lacus smiled happily, "We used to play together until I moved to PLANT"

"Uh-huh", Nissa answered slyly as she waved to one of the servants and got herself another glass of champagne, "My days were totally fun before you moved, Lacus. Because after you moved, I've got a new playmate and she's no fun at all. That Princess of Orb…"

"Nissa, I am here, okay?" Cagalli folded her arms as she gave Nissa a playful glare, but then she smiled and looked at the glass Nissa was holding, she had drank half of it already, then Cagalli asked Nissa, guessing, "Is that your tenth glass of champagne?"

Nissa shook her head and then grinned, saying, "Twelveth, and I'm still completely alarmed. But I think I'm going to stop, there's no point in getting drunk in my dear friend's party…"

"Twelveth and still alarmed, sure you are a heavy drinker", Cagalli shook her head in disbelief, "Oh, Nissa, how do you know Lacus?"

"Our mother was friends, in some ways", Lacus replied with a smile on her face, it seemed that Lacus was very happy to meet her old friend, "And I'm a bit curious about how do you two meet, Nissa, Cagalli…"

"Our father…" Cagalli was about to answer Lacus' question but suddenly Nissa interrupted.

"…shares the same belief and ideology…" Nissa continued but Cagalli interrupted her back in return.

"…both Scandinavia and Orb has the same governmental system…" said Cagalli

"…aristocracy and legislature…" said Nissa.

"…so my father often discussed things…" said Cagalli, this time she raised a brow in annoyance towards Nissa.

"…with my father, yeah, about the unity of all mankind, whether they are…" Nissa said as she realized that Cagalli was feeling impatient with her and she smirked secretly.

"…naturals…" Cagalli continued with her eyebrows formed a frown on her face.

"…or coordinators" Nissa ended as she secretly winked playfully to Cagalli, much to Cagalli's annoyance.

"Oh, Nissa, why do you have to interrupt me? I don't know that you still like…" Cagalli was about to express her annoyance when suddenly Kira's mouth opened wide.

"Oh, so you are the Princess of Scandinavia! Her Royal Highness Princess Nissa Helgi Rosvaenge?" Kira suddenly asked as she realized the girl whom he had shaken hands just before was a princess actually.

Nissa and Cagalli, who was glaring at each other at that time suddenly both of them laughed at Kira's stupidity and Nissa nodded to Kira, saying, "Yeah, I am Nissa Helgi Rosvaenge, for short"

"That's why we spoke Svenska just now, Kira", Lacus grinned, "I thought I have told you about that..."

"Isn't it obvious, Kira", Cagalli asked between her laughs, "Me and Nissa has known each other for nearly ten years"

"Oh, yeah, now I get it", Kira nodded, "Yes, you have told me about it, Lacus..." Kira then turned to Nissa, looking clumsy, he apologized saying, "Forgive me, Your Highness..."

"Hey, you don't have to be that formal", Nissa waved her hand to emphasize her refusal for being called with her honorary titles or something like that, "We're not in formal occasion. Besides, I'm younger than you"

They kept on talking for a while, sometimes Nissa gave Lacus a wink and they started to mumble a few phrases in Svenska and when Cagalli realized it, she quickly retorted because Nissa often harassing her in Svenska, a language she often heard but barely knew how to use. Athrun was just smiling at them, it was not he didn't want to join but if he talked too much, Nissa would probably recognize him as Alex Dino, and then started questioning him about his disappearance in the Second Bloody Valentine War. Kira was just merely laughed and nodded while the three girls were busy with themselves. Cagalli was really enjoying her time with Nissa and Lacus, it had been very long since the last time they met and whenever they met, they barely had time for a nice chat thanks to their business and affairs.

"Geez, how long does it take just to take one damn glass of champagne?" Nissa rolled her eyes and then started to explore the whole venue with her blue eyes, trying to look for someone.

"Nissa, your bad habit haven't changed really at all", Lacus sighed but then she smiled sweetly, "You haven't stopped using foul words"

"Bet Nissa has started using it since five years old", Cagalli mocked her before she smirked, and then took a sip of her champagne.

"Well, who cares? It's not like I'm talking with strangers. You both know me pretty well", Nissa smiled cheerfully, didn't really care about what people might say if she didn't behave herself, but then her expression changed suddenly as she eyed the whole venue again, trying to look for someone, "Has anybody here seen my dear brother, Karl?"

Athrun, who was standing beside Cagalli, seemed a bit troubled when he heard Nissa mentioning the name 'Karl'. How could he forget? Nissa was Karl's little sister and if Lacus invited Nissa, Karl would also come to accompany her. There was nothing wrong with Nissa, but Karl ... Well, he used to be Cagalli's bodyguard, and yeah, he had ever met Karl once or two times when he was still working under his alias 'Alex Dino'. He often saw Cagalli and Karl together in Copenhagen, and even though the two of them were just discussing military related topics or politics, Athrun needn't be a coordinator or a genius just to know Karl's feelings towards Cagalli.

"Oh, I haven't seen him, actually," Lacus replied.

It wasn't only Athrun who was feeling a bit troubled when she heard Nissa mentioning her brother's name. Cagalli, who had known Karl for nearly seven years, felt a bit uneasy. She really liked Karl as her best friend and she also respected him very much since both of them shared the same beliefs and ideology but when Karl confessed to her the previous year, things had changed for both of them. She felt a bit awkward whenever she was together with him for she always recalled the time when Karl asked her to marry him, and she refused. Worse, Cagalli was with Athrun now, and knowing Athrun pretty well, she believed Athrun wouldn't be very pleased if he ever knew what had happened between her and Karl the previous year.

"Oh, there he goes", Nissa grinned cheerfully as she waved to a guy who had similar looks to her, "Hey! Over here!"

The guy Nissa called walked to their direction. Everyone could tell that he had the same eyes as his sister's, the very same almond-shaped blue eyes but unlike Nissa, his hair was almost black and his skin wasn't as pale as Nissa. He was very good looking and with that looks of his, people thought that he was better being a celebrity rather than an Heir of a Royal Throne. However, those features of his were the ones which made Athrun think that Cagalli was much brighter than him. Karl and Nissa were the type that would appear in the media because of their love affairs, not because of their achievements or innovations. Despite those facts, Karl would actually make a good leader (Cagalli's still better, Athrun thought) if he was given a chance, and if the media didn't gave him such titles like 'The Most Wanted Guy of C.E. 75' or something like that.

Cagalli knew Karl was walking towards their direction and now she was spinning her champagne glass to random directions while thinking how she should behave in front of him. She had to be friendly for sure, he was her best friend after all, but not too friendly otherwise Athrun would suspect her for having some kind of hidden relationship with him... But no, Athrun was the one who was having a hidden relationship with her, so why should she that way? _'This is hard'_, she thought, _'Even my diplomatic skills won't work through situations like this...'_

"It's nice to see you again, Lacus-sama"

The girl who suddenly appeared behind Lacus startled everyone in the group. The girl was not alone; a guy who looked older a few years from her was standing next to her.

"Meyrin!" said Lacus as her lips formed a wide, happy smile, "I thought you said that you couldn't come"

Athrun, who was busy thinking how would he react if the Prince came now was distracted with Meyrin's appearance, and there was a slight worry that Cagalli might get jealous so he glanced at Cagalli, trying to check on her but it seemed that she was okay with Meyrin joining them.

Everyone there had to admit that Meyrin looked more matured than usual. She used to tie her deep red hair into bunches but now she had done a nice up-do to her hair. She was wearing a very elegant olive green dress and a pair of high-heels with matching colours. Even Cagalli had to admit that she didn't look childish at all with that style.

Meyrin smiled to everyone and then turned to Lacus, replying, "Well, this is unexpected, I thought I couldn't came but in fact, I come". She then introduced Gerald to everyone in that group, which made Athrun and Cagalli rather distracted and didn't realize that Karl had already there, standing behind his sister Nissa. Lacus was busy telling Nissa about how she and Meyrin met during the war (Nissa just nodded at Lacus whenever she finished every one sentence; she was amazed with Lacus' stories since she had never join or be in the middle of a war) when Karl tapped on Nissa's shoulder with an annoyed expression in his face. Nissa glanced at him and then she started jabbering in rapid Svenska but then she quickly turned to everyone in the group, saying, "Oh, this is my brother, Karl, I reckon everyone here has known about him..."

Cagalli was about to say 'hi' to Karl when suddenly she felt a hand was circling itself around her waist. She glared to Athrun but he just smiled at her, saying nothing but holding her closer to him, as if he wouldn't let her go. She was about to deliver her objections; she didn't want too much people finding out about what their relationship really was but when she felt the warmth of his hand, her face tinted a hint of red and her lips formed a small smile after mumbling unclear words from it. (Athrun thought he heard her saying this, _'oh well, it's up to you'_)

Lacus introduced Kira to Karl (which made Kira looked clumsier than before and this Cagalli found it funny) and then all of them started chatting for a while, until Kira realized that the time for the dance to start had come. The lights were dimmed, mainly focusing on the happy newlywed couple in the spotlight, and Kira, offering his hand to Lacus and she simply smiled and let him led her to the dance floor.

Cagalli watched them dance as she unconsciously let a small smile out of her lips. They looked as if they were drowned into pure bliss, with unwillingness to go out from it. She knew that tonight was the perfect moment for both of them as she stared at them, looking at Lacus' smile, and she knew that it wasn't her ordinary smile on her face. Lacus was always smiling, everyone knew that, but there were only a few times when her smile was truly a happy smile, not a sarcastic smile whenever Kira was talking about Yzak Joule or a sad smile whenever she visited her father's tombstone. And Kira, he was a bit clumsy and Cagalli knew very well that Kira wasn't really used to dancing on front of the public but this time he set aside his nervousness, thinking only about his beloved one, and only. They gazed at each other's eyes but their feet never mangled, still looking as gracefully as they could be.

She sighed and smiled at the same time, her eyes were dreamy as she was wondering if her love life could be a little bit easier...

"It's our turn now", Athrun, whose hand no longer around her waist, now offered his hand to her, snapping her back to the reality.

"Huh? Is it?" she turned to him with her amber eye looking directly to his emerald ones, and then he chuckled.

"Yes, Princess"

"Don't call me Princess otherwise I won't take your hand", she scowled to him but deep inside, she felt a bit happy for being called like that.

"Okay. Cagalli"

"Fine", she nodded to him with a smile on her face and let him led her to the dance floor, joining Kira and Lacus who had already there. She took a glance at him when they were walking, and she couldn't help not to blush a little bit. She didn't know why, but somehow she felt a bit nervous yet pleased. She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't realize Athrun's hand had positioned itself in the place it should be, around her waist, and his other hand gently found its place, her hand. Knowing that Cagalli was in her day-dreaming mode again, he immediately positioned her hand on his shoulder.

"Cagalli, we have to start"

Cagalli's face went a bit redder than before and she replied, "I'm no good at this stuff. What if I stepped on your foot?"

He chuckled a little then replied her with a playful yet gorgeous smirk on his face, "Well, if you did step on my foot, then you'll owe me one kiss"

"What!? How dare..." She blushed even more and when she was about to deliver her objections, he had started moving swiftly, guiding her, still with the same smirk on his face.

Actually, Cagalli could dance well. It was just her nervousness which always got in her way, preventing her from making swift, beautiful movements. She could not dance the way Lacus and Kira did at the first time, she had to draw her concentrations fully on her steps, having to make sure that her movements matched the beat of the song and her feet didn't go out of her control. She could barely gaze at Athrun's face, which was just inches away from hers, as he gazed at her, thinking how funny she was when she was busy minding her steps and the timing for the next movement.

"Are you always this busy when you're dancing?" finally, he asked her as he smiled at her behaviour.

"Huh?" she finally turned to him as she had found the rhythm and she had synchronized her movements with his. She looked at his face and found his emerald eyes were gazing at her in a gentle and sweet way, and it has encourage her to give him her serenest smile before replying here, "That's what I don't really like about dancing"

"Because you have to appear perfectly in front of the others?" he asked her again, now embracing her in a loving way after the spin she had made just before.

"Mostly because of that", she now took a glance of her feet, making sure that she was doing the right movement and then continue, "But there's another thing I hate about dancing"

"May I know what that is?" Athrun gently placed his hand on her waist again and drew himself a bit closer to her.

"Oh, it's just..." She was thinking hard about the words she was just about to say but unfortunately, that had lead her into a misplacing of her left feet, which ungracefully landed on Athrun's right one.

"Ah! Sorry!" she apologized and when she did so, they both stopped dancing, her face flushed a hint of red for she felt embarrassed at herself but he merely chuckled and kept holding her hand.

"Well, you don't need to be embarrassed. They won't look at us, anyway", he said as she eventually lifted her head, trying to argue him but he placed one finger in front of her lips, saying, "If you haven't realize, it's not only us who are dancing here. Kira, Lacus, and other people have also joined us"

Cagalli was ready to argue him in return but she gazed at her surroundings and she knew that he was definitely right. A few minutes ago, it was only Kira, Lacus, she and Athrun who was dancing, now there were a lot of people joining them. Meyrin was dancing with Gerald, Yzak with Shiho, and much to Cagalli's surprise, Murrue was still strong enough to dance with her husband despite the fact that she was seven month pregnant. On the other hand, Nissa was dragging her brother, Karl, to the dance floor, and it seemed that Karl wasn't very pleased to be dragged that way, it seemed that Karl actually wanted to dance with another girl but Nissa had dragged him first so he had no other choice but to dance with his little sister. Athrun thought he heard Dearka asking Miriallia to dance with him, but she just gave him the cold shoulder and left him. Then he took a glance over Cagalli's shoulder at Yzak and Shiho, and he was wondering how come Yzak could dance very well, and also, how come he had fallen in love with the tomboyish but sweet female red coat pilot named Shiho Hahnenfuss.

Cagalli was looking at how Nissa seemed very pleased in 'torturing' her brother. Nissa was the party girl type whereas Karl didn't really enjoy party as much as she did. She persuaded her brother to dance with her, and he danced reluctantly. Soon after that Karl bumped into someone Cagalli didn't know, Nissa set a pout on her face, complaining in Svenska to Karl. Cagalli then glanced into other direction and then she saw Meyrin with Gerald, and she had to admit that both of them were good at dancing. Then she found Kira's friend, Ssygh Argyle, was dancing with one of the bridesmaids.

"Cagalli?" Athrun called her, snapped her back to the reality.

"Oh, yes, Athrun?" she answered, with a smile on her face. Turning her head to him, she found him smiling gently at her as she felt his hand positioned itself back around her waist.

"Shall we continue?"

"Oh, sure", she replied with a small nod and a bright smile on her face as she positioned her hand on his shoulder and got herself ready for another step.

The two of them danced again, this time was much better than before. Cagalli didn't really care about her steps since she knew that everyone was busy with themselves at the moment; they would never have the time to criticize the way she danced or why she didn't wear high-heels at the moment (Lacus was shorter than her so she should not wear high-heels, which was what the wedding organizer said to her).

She was more relaxed then before and during their dance, she realized that it was actually her first dance with Athrun. It was true that Athrun used to be her bodyguard years ago, but being the Princess' bodyguard didn't make him her companion during the formals. Her supposed companion was Yuuna; that was one of the reasons why she used to hate dancing. Truly, she always wanted Athrun to be her companion but after the end of Second Bloody Valentine War, she could never imagine that since she thought both of them had chosen separate ways. But now there he was, dancing with her. Knowing that it was her first dance with him and how she had dreamt of that moment since she was sixteen, her face went red again but then she smiled, thinking that it would probably become the best moment of her whole life.

"Smiling to yourself, eh?" he tried to wake her up from her daydream for the umpteenth time, "Mind telling me what make you smile, Cagalli?"

"Oh, nothing", she avoided his eyes clumsily, her face turned redder at his question.

"Come to think of it..." Athrun seemed rather hesitant to continue what he was about to say, his face tinted a hint of red but then he continued, saying, "...this is our first dance, right?"

Knowing that Athrun was actually thinking the same way she did had surprised her, and she stopped moving in instant, resulting in Athrun stepped on her foot.

"Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry! I really didn't mean to..." Athrun immediately apologized, his face looked worried, "...does it hurt?"

"Not at all", she replied with a smile on her face, saying, "Actually, I was thinking the same too"

"Really?"

"Yes. Why would I lie to you?" she then positioned her hand again on his shoulder and they went on another round of dancing, both seemed to be drowned in blissfulness, forgetting every single responsibility they bear on their shoulders and care only in treasuring their beautiful moment together.

"Well, glad to know that", Athrun replied while letting out a small chuckle then continued, "Honestly, I've been waiting for this moment to come..."

Cagalli then blushed at his remark and then clumsily avoided his emerald eyes, again. Truly, she felt the same way as he did, and if Athrun was to be her companion from long ago, she would never hate dancing. She would always like it if it was him whom she was dancing with.

Still with the same blushing face, she murmured, "Thanks"

They kept dancing and neither Athrun nor Cagalli wanted to stop for that moment was one of the best moment together in their life, and they didn't wish it to end soon enough. However the first song had finally reached its end, and when they realized the song had ended, all they did was just gazing at each other, still with their hands entwined and the same blissful smile on both faces.

"Do you want to dance again or shall I get you a drink and let us rest for a while?"

She thought for a while and then said, "I'll go for the second choice"

"Okay then", he released his grip upon her hand, only to place it around her waist again, leading her out from the dance floor.

"You know, Athrun...?"

"Hmm?" he glanced at her, trying to found out whether she was feeling uneasy with his hand around her waist or not, and fortunately it turned out that she didn't mind with his hand around her waist at all, which gave him a slight feeling of relief.

"Since you've stepped on my foot and I've stepped at yours, I think it's clear that we should make our debts even"

Athrun smirked as he took two glasses of champagne and then gave one to her while he kept the other one for himself, "What if I say no?"

"But..." she was about to argue but then he continued, still with the same smirk on his face.

"Well, we've dealt about it, haven't we?"

"But I didn't say anything!" she frowned, and then took a few sip of her champagne.

"That's why I take it as yes, Cagalli"

"Oh, you sure are annoying", she then sighed in annoyance while he kept eyeing her, admiring her features secretly.

"Hey Cagalli", he said as he tightened his grip upon her, "Have I ever told you that you look cute when you are angry?"

Cagalli glared at him and then she shook her head, saying, "Athrun, you are as annoying as ever"

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**Author's Note:** God knows what's best for me... He gave me everything I needed :D and now after the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG hiatus I'm updating again... so sorry guys. I know it's kinda irritating to wait for someone to update but things happened, and now here I am, struggling for university entrance test preparation :)

_Odorimashou: Let's Dance_

Thanks for your continuous support towards my fic :) I love you guys! And yeah, please keep reading and reviewing my fic (even though it's not beta-read anymore)

Anybody wants to be my beta-reader? PM me if you're interested.

God bless ya all

Nii


	30. 溶解と唇

Konnichiwa, Lord Jesus Christ! **And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, my LORD, my SAVIOUR and my BEST FRIEND!!! Merry Christmas!!! **And… Yeah, what's Christmas without CHRIST? You can still have a merry little Christmas without tree, presents, Santa, Turkey and Rudolph if you still have CHRIST in your heart ;) Hehe, if you come to Indonesia to spend your Christmas here, you won't find any turkey in the menu. You'll find mutton curry and spicy beef stew instead LOL oh not to forget our satay XD they're very nice.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach… Err wrong, sorry I've been watching too much Bleach lately. ****I do not own Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny**

**Special thanks for**** differentxdreamz. Thank you very much for your help. **

Enjoy! ;)

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_**Chapter 30: Youkai to Kuchizuke**_

As the clock ticked rhythmically in its supposed direction, silence was the only thing they heard. Not wanting to say anything, she just kept staring out the window during their way back to the hotel, watching the scenery which seemed to be tauting her, as if it was somehow running away, avoiding her.

"Is something on your mind?"

She was about to shake her head, not wanting to let him to know exactly what she was thinking, but then she realized that she didn't want to hide everything from him. He also had to know something about her, about her problems, and how she was going to solve them.

"I'm just wondering… " she said gazing at the night sky from the car window, " …how many people in Orb who detest my father and the way I rule the country?"

Hearing what she just said, he glanced at her, wanting to know how her expression was and honestly, he was rather surprised to see her eyes shining with neither sadness nor hatred, just empty, as empty as the first time he saw her in Scandinavia. It had driven him curious, somehow. He never liked her this way, and it seemed as if she was becoming more and more distant to him, nothing like the old Cagalli he used to know.

"Why do you think that way?" he asked, while deep inside, he felt a huge urge to hold her hand, but her cold eyes had prevented him from doing so.

"Oh, well, I shouldn't be thinking like that…" she shook her head gently and then stopped looking through the window. She repositioned herself on her seat and staring pointlessly at nothing in particular, saying, "I'm not supposed to be his daughter,"

"You are."

"Nonsense."

"Biologically, you are not, but you are connected with Lord Uzumi in some ways, are you not, Cagalli?" he finally spoke, then continued, "Parents and their children, they are not only bound genetically, by blood, but also in their hearts."

She didn't reply at his statement. It seemed that she was too busy in her own mind to say anything.

"You're right," she sighed before facing him. This time she didn't seem as cold or as distant as before; a sad smile appeared on her face, "But the law regarding Orb's royal family doesn't concern anyone's feelings. Having me as his daughter, my father had been opposing the law for his whole life without anyone knowing. What if… "

He smiled a little and then cut off her words, saying, "Well, if you ask someone 'what if' questions, I doubt they can answer correctly since a 'what if' question has no answers. Other than fussing about the 'what if's, why don't you figure something else concerning your country?"

"Hm?"

Athrun smiled and then without any uncertainties, he drew her closer to him and then continued, "All you have to do is set your worries aside and keep moving forward. Don't get easily distracted. Your father was a great leader, of course, but it is normal that a few people don't like the way he ruled Orb"

"You're right,"she finally nodded and before continuing, "But how can you conclude that my father was a great leader?"

"Because when I was still at ZAFT, we actually never wanted to get involved with Orb,"

"Huh? I don't get it."

"Well, your father had brought Orb into a prosperous and strong country and he also dared to claim Orb's neutrality despite the war raging out in the whole universe."

"Oh I see,"she smiled at him as she stared right into his emerald eyes, which somehow reminded her of something that had happened in her life during the first Bloody Valentine war…

First time she saw him was in the deserted island, the second time was in Morgenroete, in Orb… _'Wait a minute'_ she thought, '_How could he enter Morgenroete!? He was a ZAFT soldier!! There's no way he could enter it unless…'_ her eyes then widened, _'…someone leaked Morgenroete's whereabouts and also the security passwords!'_

"Athrun, you can't possibly be… a spy, right?"

Hearing the sudden question from her, he raised one of his brows and then answered, "Why would you ask me such a question?"

"Well, perhaps you are one," she tapped her fingers on her legs, looking as if she was thinking hard, curious at something that had been bothering her mind, "You're right… there's a possibility that you're a spy but I think PLANT wouldn't spy on me, would they? It would be ridiculous if they were spying on me using you… Lacus would stop their efforts after all," she then turned to Athrun, realizing that he had a confused expression on his face, she quickly retorted, "No! I'm not accusing you, Athrun! I know that you're not spying on me, okay? I'm just curious about this… How come… this is so weird… some people know about me, they know that I'm not Uzumi's daughter but they weren't supposed to know that! Unless…"

Athrun nodded, wanting her to continue her statement, and responded, "Yes?"

"Unless there is something wrong!" she grinned widely at him, it seemed that she had found out something important, but then she gave him an apologetic look, saying, "I'm sorry, but I think I can't tell you what it is all about, Athrun. It's something that should be kept private…"

Unable to tell him what she was thinking, she figured something to say as an excuse…

"Well, I understand that Princess, and yes, Cagalli…" he grinned as he brought his index finger closer to her lips, "…yes, I know you will say 'Don't call me Princess' or something like that, but listen, I am well acknowledged that something like this will happen in our future so I'm prepared for that…"

She gazed at his face and when she found him smiling gently at her, she felt her cheeks became hot while her face was slowly and certainly turning a bit red.

"So, you owe me two kisses tonight, okay?" he smirked playfully when he said that.

"What??! That's unfair!" she looked terribly offended with him.

"Oh well, in my opinion, yes" he smirked playfully as she scowled beside him.

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Meyrin Hawke, on the other hand, had already arrived in her office and proceeded to finish her work. Honestly she was still surprised with the amount of time she had taken to reach her office from Lacus'. She never knew that Gerald could drive that fast, or else she wouldn't have been sitting there typing various things and minding her own business. She had changed from her dress into casual clothes since it was close to midnight and nobody would expect her to wear formal working attire at this time.

"Miss Hawke?"

"Oh, yes?" she answered as she heard someone calling her name. She was busy with her reports and also, typing her personal journal, anticipating the worst case scenario.

"Detective Harrison is waiting for you at the interrogation room. He wants you to be quick,"

"Okay, I'll be there," she then stood up after locking her laptop, looking exhausted but she had no intentions of going home or abandoning her work. She had been examining some events recently, and it seemed that something big was about to happen. Making sure that her laptop had been properly locked with a secure fingerprint and voice recognition device, she dashed out of her office, walking in a fast pace towards the interrogation room. She had never expected Gerald to call her to meet up in that place, which was the last place she expected him to go to. Moreover, it was her first time going to the interrogation room after she had been accepted into ZAFT Intelligence Bureau. She had visited it twice during her training but she had never watched someone being interrogated in real life.

She pushed a button on the elevator and then the door closed itself, leaving only her inside it. There weren't too many people at this hour, seeing it was almost midnight. _'Come to think of it…'_ she thought, _'… Gerald wouldn't be interrogating people at this hour, would he? He wouldn't call me too, unless there was a very important task to attend to…'_

The doors of the elevator opened, revealing a seemingly long, never ending hallway with solid steel walls. Not liking the scenery before her at all, she sighed and then walked through the hallway with uneasiness in her heart. She never did liked this place. This was where they kept anyone who had been suspected of crime, extraordinary crime which involved PLANT's top secrets. She also knew that Durandal had used this place to 'shut' people who oppose him, and also people who persuade the citizens of PLANT to oppose him. Not to mention the scientists who had worked with him to fulfill his Destiny Plan. He 'dumped' them in this place when he no longer had use for them, for they might leak his true intentions if those scientists were kept alive.

She kept walking through the hallway; however all the doors on the hallway seemed to be opened and the rooms were also forsaken and empty. She was glad she didn't see anyone inside one of the rooms which were shrieking and beckoning to her from the tiny glass windows as she passed by. Somehow, she also felt that she belonged here, at this very place, for she had betrayed ZAFT once.

Finally, she had made her way to the interrogation room. She took a deep breath, and then swiped her ID card to the door, watching as the door opened for her.

The room was divided into two parts, one was small and the other one was bigger than the first. This time when she entered the room, she realized that she was inside the small part of the interrogation room. The two parts of the room were separated with a large, thick, voice-proof glass, with only a small door on the left side of it. The small part was used for anyone who wanted to watch the process of interrogation without getting involved. And the other part of the room was the place for the suspect to be interrogated. She took a glance at the other room through the glass, and she saw the guy he had captured at Lacus' party. His face now was different, they had uncovered his true identity and everyone could see his real face, without any disguises. The guy was tied on a chair, and judging from the way he was tied, it seemed rather impossible for him to escape. There was a table in front of him, and Gerald was sitting in the other side of the table. There was another officer who was standing behind Calvin Pelkowski, the suspect. It was one of Gerald's friends whom he had mentioned to Meyrin; and Meyrin easily recognized him because Gerald had once told her who that guy was, and what his specialty was too. That guy, named Jefferson McDougall, was specialized on 'torturing' people until they leaked their secret.

"You're slow, Meyrin,"

"Uhm?" she quickly turned around in the opposite direction and found Gerald already standing beside her. He wasn't like his usual self, seeming more detective-like this time. Seeing him in this state had surprised her, for she seldom saw him like that, only on a few occasions when he had to suppress his stupidity a lot.

"Try walking faster next time I call you,"

"Yes," she nodded respectfully.

Gerald told her to move a little bit closer to him and then handed her something so quickly that nobody in that room noticed what he was doing, whispering very quietly to Meyrin, "I have something for you, oh, for the two of us."

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"Well, it seems that we've arrived," he said, still holding her close to him, his hand over her shoulders, letting her lean towards him. It had been thirty minutes since they talked about serious things, and the atmosphere between the two had lessened a lot. They had been talking about small things that annoyed them sometimes, or their colleagues. However Cagalli had been having a hard time restraining herself not to reveal any of Orb's top secret to him. Athrun talked about how Yzak damaged his tantrums when the two of them was still assigned in Sextilis Two and how Dearka always persuaded him to go to various nightclubs at the weekends. Somehow, she envied him for having colleagues with similar age to him; she thought her job was very boring since she was the youngest person working in Orb Governmental Office (she didn't count the receptionist and phone call operator who were similar in age to her), everyone was at least six years older than her, predominantly old geezers but luckily they were not as conservative as she had thought once before.

He tried his best to listen to her properly; he didn't want to have less communication with her for he (and yeah, everyone) knew that communication is one of the most important aspects in relationships, but sometimes he couldn't help but stare at her so immensely that he couldn't hear what she was trying to say. She then realized that he was staring at her when she demanded him for a reply or answer but he said nothing in return, just looking at her, admiring her features while wondering if would it be a good idea if he tried to kiss her just once. She scowled; he then apologized for not hearing what she said. But she smiled to him eventually, and chuckled at his behavior, which he found very cute. He asked if she had free time the following day, and she said she had some, so he asked her to go out with him, which she agreed while blushing slightly. It would be her first 'proper' date with Athrun ever since they had been together again a few weeks ago. She had been very busy before, so busy that she could not accept Athrun's request for just one date.

"Even if you didn't tell me that, I would definitely know since my eyes are normal and I still can see the huge five star thingy under the hotel sign," she replied in her usual manner, a bit harsh and guy-like but actually that was the way she was so he only smiled at her, and led her out of the car in such a gentlemen-like manner, which made her feel very awkward, but in some ways, she felt rather princess-like. Truly, she always liked the way he treated him, as if she was a princess in fairytales (_'though in fact, I'm really a princess but real life doesn't resemble fairytales at all'_, she thought), or, as if she was the only girl alive in the whole universe. She was a tomboy and what she hated the most was male's dominance throughout the whole universe, even in Cosmic Era. But when it came to the guy she fancied the most… that was just one thing in her mind that she couldn't control.

He held with his arm around her waist while she was actually thinking if the officers in the hotel will recognize her as the Princess of Orb but they appeared like they didn't, so she didn't mind Athrun's hand around her waist. He planned on accompanying her until she finally arrived in her bedroom. He wanted to make sure that she arrived to her room safely but actually he had other reasons; one was he didn't want to part with her even for just one night, and the other one was he wanted to collect her so-called-debts, as well as paying his. Both of them kept walking, until finally they reached the door of her room.

"Oh, well, thank you so much for listening to me before…" she smiled to him as she swiped her card in the slot, and the green light flashed, permitting her to open it, "…I think I haven't chatted that much recently. Sorry for boring you to death."

"Oh, that was nothing, I'm still alive," Athrun replied, this time he had let her go. He no longer held her by her waist, but soon after that, he quickly hugged her from her back and rested his chin on her shoulder, which enabling her to feel his warmth even more than before, "I thought I was the one who should apologize to you since I didn't listen to you properly."

"Uhm…" she was trying her best to find a proper reply to his statement but the way he was holding her at the moment had given her some kind of indulgence that interfering some parts of her brain, resulted in her inability to think properly and her heart beating faster than ever before. She wanted to shoo him away, just for one or two seconds so she could think properly but her body didn't want to.

"Cat got your tongue, Princess?" he asked her in such a very gentle tone that it sent shivers down her spine and made her feel a bit nervous.

"Uh, do not call me like that," she told him, simply frowning to express her annoyance while deep inside, she had to admit that she didn't hate being called Princess by him that bad, it made feel like he was adoring her and treating her in a way that she really liked, "Would you mind if you release me now? I have to sleep early. We're going out tomorrow, aren't we?"

"Of course", he finally released her, only to turn her to the opposite direction so she now faced him again, with her face reddened a little. She then faced him, trying to say something but it seemed that her tongue was tied; she found it so hard just to say something to him, something like 'good night' or 'see you tomorrow'. She could only gazed at him, and realized that he didn't button two buttons on his shirt, and when she saw that part, she couldn't help herself not to blush. She remained silent for a while, and he realized that someone had to break the silence or both of them would end up standing in front of the door for the whole night.

"Aren't you going to give me a proper good bye?" he asked her with a smile on his face. His smile was calm yet rather sly; it seemed like he was going to do something to her, but he didn't want to let her know what it was, at least not yet.

"Oh, sorry," she smiled sheepishly, while avoiding his emerald gaze upon her, which if she continued to look at his eyes, it would deepen the hint of red in her face, "Well, good night, Athrun."

He brought his hand onto her face, caressing her cheek very slowly yet lovingly, his smile turned into an expression of disappointment, saying, "Just 'good night'?"

"Yeah… I did it in a proper way…" she looked a bit confused yet her face seemed to get redder and redder while her heart started to beat faster and harder, much faster and harder than just a few seconds ago, "…didn't I?"

"Well, in my opinion, you didn't," he smiled slyly as he tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear, causing her to avoid his gaze upon her since she didn't like showing her crimson face to him at all.

"Oh, yes! I know," she grinned to him and said, "See you tomorrow, Athrun."

He chuckled as he continued caressing her cheek with one of his hands, while the other one had placed itself around her waist, enclosing the gap between those two, which had already been in its minimum, saying, "Too bad… Not even close,"

"Huh? Athrun, quit toying with me!" her face formed a frown in annoyance, and looking his sly smile would only risen her temper even more than before, "If you really want to do so, tomorrow will be much better since I need to sleep now,"

"Oh, sorry..." his hand went down from her cheek to her chin, lifting it so she could face him clearly, "…My apologies, Cagalli. We should settle this quickly…"

"What did you mean by that?" she asked him, looking impatient yet nervous, still desperately trying to hide her blushing face even though she knew that he had already seen her blushing face and there were no point in hiding it from him.

"You owe me two kisses, and I owe you one."

She looked at his lips, which had formed a small smirk, much to her annoyance, but she did have to admit that even though he was smirking, he was still as gorgeous and good looking as ever. However she tried to remain sane, she was not going to be controlled by him, by his gentle yet seductive voice, his gorgeous yet sly smile…

"I never recalled agreeing to that," she said harshly although she doubted that her voice sounded as harsh as she had expected before, since her mind was no longer functioning properly.

"If that's the case, I'm going to pay my debt first," he smiled, enclosing the gap between their face, until the remaining distance barely reached one inch.

She remained silent due to her nervousness, and she cursed herself for not being able to take control upon the situation. She saw his face was getting closer and closer to hers, although in her heart she didn't know what she should do, whether to push him away since she never wanted to get caught doing things like that, or waiting for his lips to arrive on hers, whether to keep her eyes closed or opened. She really didn't know what to do, even though they had kissed dozens of times, she never really got used to the sensation when he did it very slowly, as if he was toying with her.

Not knowing what to do, she clumsily placed both of her hands on his chest, only to feel his well-built chest beneath his shirt. She actually wanted to push him away but the moment her hands landed on his chest, a chaos had occurred inside her heart, body, and soul, a chaos that messed the synchronization of her mind, body and heart but somehow, the chaos felt very pleasant, full of passion yet gentle and sweet. She let her hands positioned itself onto his chest as she suddenly felt him drawing her closer.

She felt his lips upon hers, kissing hers very gently, yet slowly, as if he was trying to tell her to memorize every millisecond of their kiss, keeping it securely in her heart. He kissed her very gently and lovingly, treating her as if she was a descending goddess from the heaven above, tasting her lips as if they were the most precious to him in the whole universe. During the first ten seconds, she had neither replied nor responded to his kiss due to her nervousness but then, she raised her hands, from his chest to his neck, encircling them around it, as she kissed him back, quite the same way as he did, gently and slowly.

He felt her responses, and he like it, he let her take the control upon the kiss, before they broke their kiss, gazing into each other with a smile on each other's faces, and then enclosed the gap between their faces again, just to start another sweet yet a little bit more passionate kiss than the one they both just had before.

He tasted her lips, again, a little bit more lustfully than before, and she didn't mind him doing so for she also did the same thing at the same time, sensing and tasting the taste of his lips upon hers. His tongue gently coaxed her lips, persuading her to open her lips so he could explore her taste even deeper, and she, thanks to the sweet chaos in her mind, permitted him for doing so. He began exploring the depth of her mouth with his tongue, every crack and crevice in it, that was all he wanted to taste, and so did she. Thus, their tongues met, touching each other before finally started to fight for dominance in the kiss, which they found extremely indulging to both of them.

At least until she finally heard her cell phone rang very loudly that she had to broke the kiss very suddenly, even though deep inside she still wanted to continue, but she knew she had to pick the phone call first, which resulted in significant disappointment between the two. She pushed him hard, gave him an apologetic smile, her face blushing like mad, saying "So-sorry… I have to…"

"It's okay," he finally released his grip upon her, "Just pick it up."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meyrin quickly walked to her office again to check whatever Gerald had given to her, trying her best not to look suspicious. There were only a few officers in ZAFT Intelligence Bureau that night, simply because it was Saturday night and only a few people would want to work at such time.

She entered her office, closing the door behind her and locking it silently, hoping that nobody around her noticed her presence and then she took a small box inside her pocket, the very thing that Gerald had just given to her just now, which was…

"What the hell…"

…a box of condoms.

Meyrin had to resist the urge to shout Gerald's name in anger but she remained calm, and decided to open the box, knowing that Gerald wouldn't make a joke at such time. Once she had opened it, she knew that it was really a pack of condoms with various flavours such as banana, pineapple, mango and strawberry. She frowned in disgust as she took them out of the box and she, once again, had to resist the urge to go back to the interrogation room and punch Gerald right in his face. She then took a deep breath, calming herself down but she couldn't help not to squeeze the condom box in anger in efforts to calm herself, which made her realize that there was really something suspicious about that box. She squeezed it hard but she felt something hard inside it. She took a look at the box again to see what was inside it and she saw nothing. She tried squeezing the box again and she had no doubt that there was something inside the box, so she decided to wreck open the box and realized that the box was made from recycled paper, judging from the backside of it. She touched every single part of the wrecked box carefully, and realized that there was something hidden inside it, so she carefully tore it and she found something very thin and small inside it.

"Ah, I see!" she mumbled as she grinned at her new discovery. It was a memory card, the latest type and also the smallest one which was commonly used by secret agents. Making sure that the windows were closed, she opened her laptop, giving the security passkey and then inserted the memory card into the card reader and when she was about to examine the content, she realized that it had been given tight protection so that nobody would be able to get the content of it. But then she smiled, more a smirk actually, her fingers typing very quickly on the keyboard. She grinned more widely as the lights of the LCD changed. Breaking the protection was a piece of cake for her.

She grinned as she had passed the first phase of the protection, and then she had to do the second phase, the third, the fourth, which only took her twenty minutes and the difficulties of breaking the protection had made her bored, it seemed that she needed more of a challenge to improve her skills. She finally reached the fifth phase, which was the last one and she finally had the access to view the contents. She read it, examined it, and her eyes widen in shock.

"Damn! This is no good!"

She closed the window on her computer and then opened another window on her monitor screen, searching for someone's position and phone number. She then dialled the number and started making a secret conversation.

----------------------------------x-x-x---------------------------------------

"Uhm…" Cagalli felt hesitant as she walked further from Athrun to prevent his hearing her conversation, because the number appeared in her cell phone didn't belong to anyone listed in her phonebook. _'Weird'_, she thought, _'Nobody will be able to call to this number unless their number is registered in my phone book…'_

She thought that anyone who was calling her couldn't be some random prank callers because ordinary prank callers wouldn't be able to get through the protection of her phone line. Her mind went to the blackmails she had received before but somehow, she felt that she should receive it.

She slowly pushed the green button on her cell phone and greeted the other caller, saying, "Hello?" Then her eyes widen a bit; she never expected that girl to call her, that late at night. She then walked further to Athrun, preventing him from overhearing her conversation on the phone. She listened carefully to what the caller said and suddenly her expression changed.

On the other hand, Athrun went inside Cagalli's room and closed the door, but he only stood, leaning against the door waiting for Cagalli to finish her conversation. His mind wondered back to when he kissed her in that very place and it actually made him blush, he never knew that he, Athrun Zala, who was always known as a gentleman, had the guts to be seductive with his girlfriend. Recalling what happened five minutes ago, he couldn't help thinking about what a pleasure it was and how he wanted to do it again someday while he watched Cagalli talking on the phone.

She then ended her phone call, and walked back towards Athrun's with a tired look on her face, saying, "Uhm, Athrun, I think I won't be able to go out with you tomorrow…"

"Huh? Why is that?"

She looked at his face and realized that even though he tried to understand whatever her reason was, his emerald eyes were full of disappointment and she couldn't help feeling guilty because of this. She then answered, "I've got a problem in Orb and it has to be fixed as soon as possible… I'm really sorry; I would go out with you if I could, Athrun… But this problem is really serious so I have to go home tomorrow…"

"It's okay," not wanting her to be feeling guilty, he tried to calm her with his smile but he actually was a bit disappointed. Cagalli was always so busy that they seldom went on a date due to her business, but he tried to understand her since his girlfriend was the Princess of Orb, not only the chief of state but also the head of the government, "There's always another time."

"Yeah, but… This is the umpteenth time I cancelled our…" she blushed when she was about to continue her sentence, "…date."

"I understand that, Cagalli. Besides, we do still have another time to go out together," he went forward and then walked closer to her, "Just don't push yourself too hard, Princess"

She wanted to protest but somehow, she felt guilty because she was the one who cancelled the date so she had no rights to protest whatever he called her since she was in no position to do so. She just blushed at the way he addressed her and avoided his gaze, as usual, since it would make her blush even more and make her feel even guiltier.

"I'm sorry,"she said, looking downwards.

"It's okay, really." he brushed a few bangs and smiled, "You should have a proper sleep tonight."

She merely nodded at his remarks.

"Goodnight, then," he said as he placed a small peck on her lips, much to her surprise, "See you later,"

She finally smiled and replied, "See you too,"

_'But when is later?'_

----------------------------x-x-x-----------------------------

Meyrin had just finished her phone call when Gerald suddenly rushed to her office, panted heavily as if he had just escaped from someone. He then quickly opened the door, entered the office, and closed it again while he leaned against the door to gain some support.

"Phew! That was bloody close!" he said when he had gather some of his breath, "That's all because of that damn Pelkowski! He almost got me doomed!"

"Huh?" Meyrin, who was about to scold him for giving her a box of flavoured condoms now went a little bit confused, "What did you mean? Doomed?"

"That McDougall has sensed that I'm hiding something from him!" Gerald then walked to the couch near Meyrin's desk and then placed himself on it, saying, "Damn! Of course I'm not hiding something from him. WE are hiding something from him."

"Gerald! What is going on here?"

"He has been curious on me right after we arrived from the party," Gerald explained as he spread his hand and resting his head on the couch, looking at the ceiling blankly, "Especially when he knew that you were invited to Lacus' party."

"Well, it seems that he wasn't really well acknowledged about my background, was he?" Meyrin then turned her chair and faced Gerald, with her face still looking curious, "Most people in here knows that I used to be a soldier,"

"But this is different," Gerald finally sat properly so he could face Meyrin, "When I brought Pelkowski to the interrogation room, he was there at the hallway before me and I have no idea what he was doing at that time. Why would someone take a walk in such place?"

"I don't know. I don't like that place,"

"Me neither", Gerald quickly replied, "Then I forced Pelkowski to give all his belongings to me and we, I mean me and McDougall, unmasked Pelkowski, then he did the torturing until he finally found a box of…"

"…yeah. That damn box contains a lot of dangerous things", Meyrin nodded, "If McDougall is really curious on you, why did he let you give that box to me?"

"Because he had been examining it and he found nothing! So he basically just gave it to me, saying that I might need them someday. I wanted it to be examined fast, before anyone else in this bureau noticed, so I called you."

"And you're right", Meyrin then typed a few words on her keyboard, "I've broken through the protection and…" Meyrin shrugged, "…see this with your very own eyes."

Gerald then lazily walked to the direction of Meyrin's laptop and Meyrin moved aside a little bit so he could see whatever appeared on the monitor clearly. He looked at the monitor and then grabbed the mouse, scrolling downwards.

"Bloody hell," Gerald murmured as he read all the data in the computer, "I'd never thought that the radical faction of ZAFT has gone through this far."

Meyrin walked into a small table near her desk and then she checked her tea, which she had reheated right after her arrival from Lacus' wedding. She pulled the teabag and then realized that the tea had turned a bit too cold for her standard. She planned to reheat it again and make the colour darker, so she put the teabag back into her mug and turned the mini heater on again, thinking hard in her head. She was a member of ZAFT Intelligence Bureau, and she was also a member of Clyne Faction. Knowing her position, she knew she had to leave ZAFT Intelligence Bureau someday, just to prove her loyalty to the Clyne Faction…

No, not her loyalty towards the Clyne Faction. Her will and desire to maintain peace.

"Gosh!" Gerald scowled as he read the data.

Meyrin set a small smile on her face as she took a glance at Gerald. She never hated being his subordinate; she liked it actually. It was like having someone to cheer her up all the time. Gerald was rather an idiot but he was actually a good detective, and she did learn a lot of things from him. She glad she had the chance to work with him, but someday, when the time came, she might have to leave him due to her acquaintance with the Clyne Faction. She wondered whether she should tell him about the Clyne Faction and persuade him to join it too, but she would save that for later unless she wanted someone to uncover her secrets and kill her.

"How could they have gone that far?" Gerald asked Meyrin who was busy watching her tea.

"I don't know," Meyrin then pulled the teabag again because the tea in her cup had browned a lot, "They surely are putting their efforts into this _coup d'état_."

She examined the colour of the tea and then she frowned, the brown colour was different from what she had expected before. It should be blackish not reddish, and no matter how long she soaked the teabag on the water, it wouldn't turn the way she exactly wanted. She then pulled the teabag out and then started sniffing on it (Gerald said, "Such a doggish way to enjoy a cup of tea"). _'Man!'_ she thought _'I thought I put Darjeeling, not Chinese tea. Why did the colour doesn't resemble Darjeeling tea at all? Could it be… Someone switched the teabag when I was away, and tried to poison me?' _she then put the teabag on her hand and pressed it gently, causing it to squeeze out a few drops of tea from it. She kept pressing the teabag pointlessly while thinking about her situation, until she felt something hard was inside the teabag, hidden beneath the ground dried tea leaves.

She raised one brow in confusion and then she wreck open the teabag carefully not to spill too much ground dried tealeaves from it and she found something inside it, which was the same size as the coughing pills. She recognized that thing and then crushed it with her hands forcefully. She took a glance at Gerald, thinking, '_was it he who did this? It might be possible, but he is being watched too.'_

"You found something, Meyrin?" Gerald slightly yawned as he asked Meyrin that question, "And you are trying to hide it from me since you fear that I might get you in jail or worse, executed just because of your discoveries."

"Huh?" Her eyes widen in surprise _'how could he…'_

"I've been watching you, Meyrin," Gerald smirked, "There's no use to get your suspicion aroused against me; we're on the same side."

She smiled, saying, "Then I have to tell you that we are being watched. I've found a transmitter here in my teabag"

Gerald's eyes widen in surprise but then he burst out laughing, resulting in Meyrin to blush eventually.

"You!" he said between his laugh, "Little girl! Do you know a better way to break a transmitter?"

"Uhm…"

"Put it in a microwave, little girl!", he then laughed uncontrollably again, but eventually stopped, and walked closer to Meyrin, patted her on her shoulder, saying, "But it's okay as long as you can break it into pieces. Let me see" Gerald then took the remaining pieces of the transmitter from Meyrin's hand and then examined it, saying, "Seems that you've crushed this thingy into pieces. Too bad, if you told me earlier then we would be able to detect the signals"

Meyrin was really surprised. How could she be that stupid? How could she be that pathetic?

"I'm sorry," she said, "I have no excuses."

"Now, now, little girl," Gerald patted her again on her shoulder; "It's no big deal. At least they won't be able to get any information from us."

She nodded, still feeling guilty from what she had done before.

"Morever, that was the most incredible thing I've ever seen," Gerald continued, saying "Who on earth could ever imagined that the memory stick contains military codes from all nations of Earth Alliance Federation and United Emirates of Orb? I bet Pelkowski was about to deliver this stuff to someone when you captured him, Meyrin."

"Hmm…" Meyrin thought for a few seconds, "…It makes sense. Pelkowski was very good at disguising himself, and he can be anyone else without any difficulties…"

Meyrin then smiled a little. She wouldn't let Gerald know that she phoned the Chief Representative of Orb to inform her that something was indeed, very wrong. And she didn't regret telling the Chief Representative of Orb too, for both of them shared the same believes.

She hoped everything went well, in Orb, PLANT, and on earth.

* * *

**Author's note: **Man, I want to have a peaceful Christmas here! We used to have peaceful Christmas and New Year celebrations year after year but well, recently some people started demolishing Churches or worse, bombing them in Christmas Eve :( All I want is a peaceful Christmas Eve :) and yeah, New Year's Eve too :D

Youkai to Kuchizuke: Demons and Kisses

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!! JESUS BLESS YOU ALL!!

Lots of love

Nii Blueberryfreak a.k.a Mei Ying


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